Seeking tips for 2011 Tour de France

[kkwheelz]

I need advice from those of you who have visited the tour it the past. My teenage sons are avid biking fans and I am going to surprise them this summer when we are in europe. Have a room about an hour away from LeEssarts, France and will drive in to town that day to catch the time trials live. I am a novice...first time at a major race....can't speak french...excited but a little nervous about managing the logistics to make sure we really see the race. Any tips?

 

[L'arriviste]

I need advice from those of you who have visited the tour it the past. My teenage sons are avid biking fans and I am going to surprise them this summer when we are in europe. Have a room about an hour away from LeEssarts, France and will drive in to town that day to catch the time trials live. I am a novice...first time at a major race....can't speak french...excited but a little nervous about managing the logistics to make sure we really see the race. Any tips?

Before you go

You should do as much planning as you can. Choose the spot(s) you want to take up in advance. Use a GPS. Tell your kids the timetable you have set. It will ratchet up their excitement to "ultrahyper" on the dial, plus it will also get them prepared for the lows (traffic, waiting around, weather) as well as the highs.

Check for whether the parcours will cause you driving problems both on the approach and leaving because of roadblocks. If you want to do important bits of your route with the "jelly man" on Google Street View, that may also help a lot.

Note that Les Essarts is situated in the crown of two autoroutes, both of which are of the classic French two-lane type. Expect potentially difficult traffic as a result. Don't underestimate the size and impact of the great Tour circus. It's absolutely huge in terms of people and vehicles!

While you're there

You have to be good at waiting, because you'll need to turn up in very good time, at least an hour or so before at a quieter spot and at least four if you want any sort of vantage point near the start/finish. It is not uncommon for people to camp out for a good spot, not that I'm suggesting you do that.

Small foldaway chairs, bottled water, some food that won't easily spoil and a good-sized umbrella are recommended. For countryside locations, I also take a couple of TravelJohns in my car and some of that antibacterial gel soap that dries out of its own accord.

Time trials are fast, of course, so study the parcours and look for a hill, a tight corner or a both-ways section to make the most of it, especially if you intend to take good photos.

Get friendly with people. They help pass the waiting time and share insight, race news, experience and sometimes they have more interesting food and wine than you. People from all over the world will be there but particularly Europeans and many of them speak good English.

Enjoy yourselves. It's something you'll always remember. And hopefully something you'll want to do again and again!

 

[skidmark]

The above reply offers excellent advice. I'd add that you could even consider renting bikes, if you're close to where the TT will be. It's easier to get around on bike, and you can ride to your vantage point on the TT course long after the cars have stopped being allowed to drive through. So not only do you have less stress and more freedom of travel, but it's kind of thrilling to ride the same roads the riders will be taking in a few hours (it's also cool to set up early and see all the riders and teams recon the course, or even get passed by them). Of course, then you're limited with regards to what you can transport, but I found that even if you don't have panniers, you can take all you need for a tour stage in a good backpack/courier bag.

As far as location, you should think about what you want to see. Like L'Arriviste said, show up earlier if you want to view it from more than a random place, think of pictures, etc. But if that's not a big deal, you could go for an easier and comfortable option. I'm just thinking of the only TT I've seen, which is Annecy 2009. After going to Verbier, the start in Martigny, and the Colombiere, we'd seen some excitement at the Tour so we decided to set up on the downhill section of the course about 3km from the finish. In a little town there, we set up all day on the raised patio of a bar overlooking the road, so like 10 feet from the riders. So we got to see a good 200m strip of road, I timed every rider (which matched up with their finishing times pretty well), we leaned back with our feet up, had food and drinks at hand, and also had a TV in the bar if we wanted to check on the actual results of the stage or see how a rider was doing who was coming up to us. No crazy atmosphere of excitement, but it was a TT so it would be hard to get that unless you were at the top of the small climb or at the finish. I'm not sure what the layout of this year's TT is, and it sounds like it's the only stage you're going to see, so you might want to do it 'right' and get a spot by the finish line or something. But that Annecy experience was relaxed and enjoyable.

 

[hmsgenoa]

Enjoy the TT but it would be criminal not to take advantage of the proximity to the classic climbs of the alps on the previous days stage from Modane. Try and get onto Alpe D'Huez or The Col Du Galibier, because if you have not experienced the atmosphere on such a stage you will be in for a real treat. Two days previously there'll be a summit finish on The Galibier so two very good opportunities only one to two hours away from where you'll be. I may be there with my young family myself but on the stage from Italy I'm hoping to be on The Col D'Agnel. Don't miss the mountain stages!

P.S. Try and get plenty of grub/drinks for the day and get on the climbs early on the day before the gendarmes close the road. The first part of Alpe D'Huez is one of the steepest sections so if you arrive late you could park yourself there (figuratively speaking, at a later time you'll have to park elsewhere in Le Bourg D'Oisans and walk/ride there). If (big if) theres any bunch to speak of when they get to the Alpe it'll be quite likely someone will force the issue early on the climb, you might witness an attack. The Galibier is spectacular go there for the summit finish!

 

[L'arriviste]

Enjoy the TT but it would be criminal not to take advantage of the proximity to the classic climbs of the alps on the previous days stage from Modane. Try and get onto Alpe D'Huez or The Col Du Galibier, because if you have not experienced the atmosphere on such a stage you will be in for a real treat. Two days previously there'll be a summit finish on The Galibier so two very good opportunities only one to two hours away from where you'll be. I may be there with my young family myself but on the stage from Italy I'm hoping to be on The Col D'Agnel. Don't miss the mountain stages!

P.S. Try and get plenty of grub/drinks for the day and get on the climbs early on the day before the gendarmes close the road. The first part of Alpe D'Huez is one of the steepest sections so if you arrive late you could park yourself there (figuratively speaking, at a later time you'll have to park elsewhere in Le Bourg D'Oisans and walk/ride there). If (big if) theres any bunch to speak of when they get to the Alpe it'll be quite likely someone will force the issue early on the climb, you might witness an attack. The Galibier is spectacular go there for the summit finish!

Great advice, but I think OP is referring to the Stage 2 TT.

 

[kkwheelz]

such great advice

you are all awesome...thank you!!

 

[hmsgenoa]

Great advice, but I think OP is referring to the Stage 2 TT.

Ah no problem I was thrown by the missing 'T' (TTT) and thought that Les Esserts must be a suburb of Grenoble!

No problem - just wish you were nearer the alps for my advice to have been any good! Also wish I had that first week off work so I could see the TTT - I've never seen it before and it will be a brilliant spectacle. If you get the chance watch the TTT footage on 'Chasing Legends'; the team formations snaking through the curves and at one point HTC are doing 80kph on an undulating section of the 2009 TTT.

cheers Ian