Tour De France?

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bensherman

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Hi all, I have talked the wife into 3 wks in France next summer whilst the tour is on. Anyone on here took in a tour before willing to offer some advice? Wondering on how long before the roads get closed etc Must see/stay places as we will have a campervan and tent in tow.

Cheers
Matt
 
The main cols like Col du Tourmalet get closed three days before the tour visits, particularly as there is an Etape du Tour sportif ride the day before the stage itself.

From what I've seen in pictures, it's a beautiful mountain and an ideal book to read to do some research is Tour Climbs by Chris Sidwell.

Sorry I can't fully answer the question, but hope above helps in some way! ;)
 
Several hours before the stage comes through is the stage shut down, the crappy little sponsors vans throwing out tat that the french love come through well over an hour in advance often 2.

My best tip is if you want to see the riders go to a stage start, you see the riders sign on each day and warming up and riding to the start, you will see alot more than if you are out on stage (unless its a TT stage).

Ill be back again next year i expect.

Plan your trip around stages and locations you want to see, this years route has allready been released i belive
 
markta said:
The main cols like Col du Tourmalet get closed three days before the tour visits, particularly as there is an Etape du Tour sportif ride the day before the stage itself.

From what I've seen in pictures, it's a beautiful mountain and an ideal book to read to do some research is Tour Climbs by Chris Sidwell.

Sorry I can't fully answer the question, but hope above helps in some way! ;)
Click to expand...

L'Etape isn't the day before - it's usually 3/4 days (I'm riding L'Etape this year). and this year is Sunday 18th July with that stage of the race on Thursday 22nd July.

You can drive up the day before (it's not closed 3 days before either), but not of the morning itself (unless you're on foot, bike or motorbike). We went over for the stage up the Tourmalet this year

http://www.guycollierphotography.com/?p=995
http://www.guycollierphotography.com/?p=1044

It goes over the Tourmalet twice this year - both sides are raced up.
 
My bad..maybe I was getting mixed up with Geoff Thomas's charity effort several years ago..

The route for next year has indeed been announced, with the emphasis being on the Pyrenees!!

Anyway, you're best getting to the mountains several days before, if you're simply interested in selected stages, otherwise you may have difficaulty in being on the passes themselves if going from stage after stage, other than in the foothills of each Col.

Be careful about parking on mountains too; it can take hours to get off the major ones :thumbsdown:
 
Cheers for the replies, I will be parked up in my camper with probably a small tent outside. So will be finding out which stages I can get to whilst maybe free camping - will have a look for near by campsites to the route. Think it will be manic as I will be taking our boxer dog with us. :D
 
Make sure you keep it on a lead!

The Tourmalet on the 22nd will be MENTAL as it's a stage finish. You'll need to get there on the 20th at least to get a decent place and most likely the 19th after L'Etape has finished. There were over 100,000 on the mountain this year and that was a nothing stage with the mountain wasted really. They just rode tempo all the way up.
 
I haven't seen next year's route yet, but for me the Col de Croix de Fer was the most spectacular - you really see some suffering there as the heat reflects off the rocks something fierce...

Make sure you get lots of pix of the 'My Old Joan'...lol
 
Make sure you get lots of pix of the 'My Old Joan'...lol[/QUOTE]

Care to explain ? Sorry for my ignorance.
 
Oh the race leader, will be trying to get some of Lance and Cavendish if I can.
 
I hope you don't have my luck. I walked up the Col du Galibier and pitched my tent only to wake the next morning with my tent flattened and a foot of snow. The stage was cancelled and the racers went past sat in the back seats of team cars.
 
Arkady said:
I haven't seen next year's route yet, but for me the Col de Croix de Fer was the most spectacular - you really see some suffering there as the heat reflects off the rocks something fierce...

Make sure you get lots of pix of the 'My Old Joan'...lol
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I've had the humble experience of cycling solo up that pass and at the summit, where the iron cross is, it's simply stunning, especially from a phorographic perspective, as the tones are awesome!

Have also ridden up the Col du Galibier on the same route, same day and it isn't that picturesque, but difficault to ride up, with three mountains and 90 miles already in the legs!

As I say, Tour Climbs book by Chris Sidwells is great as is You Tube for advice on prepping yourself for a stay on the mountains...
 
Remember you're after the bits that are photographically interesting, rather than just tough for the cyclist and therefore memorable for different reasons...I always thought the col de Tourmalet was utterly boring visually, just like l'Alpe d'Huez...
 
Hi all, just booked the channel tunnel for the 1st of July and will be camping somewhere near Chambery, as there is 3 stages close by. Anyone on here following the tour?
 
My l’Etape du Tour, 18th July 2010

It was the most brutal day on a bike. I’m still in shock.

Up at 4am to get to Pau for 6am. Started at 7am. Superfast early pace. 4th cat 3k climb at 20k and then the mental 13k Marie-Blanque at 55km. That averages 13% for the last 4k and is pure evil. Flatish until the Solour which is 21km long. At the foot my pedal cleat went on left foot and from there I couldn’t stand on the pedals. Did the climb one footed at 8% average. Now 32c. Mental descent at speeds of 80kph and then 20k flat to the Tourmalet. Now 35c. At 5k into that (19k at 8.5% av) I then cracked due to having to sit the whole way from the foot of the Solour. I made it to 9k from the end before being eliminated on time.

Stats were 172km, av speed 19k, 9hrs 4, 3600 metres climbed. I was in tears on more than one occasion. There is nothing in the UK that prepares you for 3 climbs of 2 hours each. It was carnage. People being sick, huge crashes and one dead.

Just unreal.

Naturally we're planning next year's already.
 
Radiohead said:
There is nothing in the UK that prepares you for 3 climbs of 2 hours each. It was carnage. People being sick, huge crashes and one dead.

Just unreal.

Naturally we're planning next year's already.
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Congratulations on surviving, would of loved to have attempted this but second spinal surgery has put paid to ever getting back on the drops again. Doing the etap is such an achievement.:thumbs:
 
Well done Guy, and bad luck for being outside the elimination time. You are so right about nothing in the UK preparing you for this, particularly if you live in the South like us.
I don't know if you belong to a club, but if you plan to do it next year, then a lot of serious miles with quick cyclists would help.
At the risk of stating the obvious, you should be looking at 200 miles a week training at least, pushing that to 300 whenever possible.

Andy
 
andy700 said:
Well done Guy, and bad luck for being outside the elimination time. You are so right about nothing in the UK preparing you for this, particularly if you live in the South like us.
I don't know if you belong to a club, but if you plan to do it next year, then a lot of serious miles with quick cyclists would help.
At the risk of stating the obvious, you should be looking at 200 miles a week training at least, pushing that to 300 whenever possible.

Andy
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It wasn't the fitness that was the problem, it was the last 90k with one pedal. :D
 
Hi all just got back having been out there for 3 weeks, managed to take in 6 stages thankfully by Campervan. Here's a couple of shots....

Lance.jpg


Cancellara2.jpg


Any c&c welcome.

Cheers

Matt
 
Matt
I like the exposure of #1, skin tones are spot on and DOF is good.
Is it Armstrong or Leipeimer, they look so alike with helmets and shades on.

Guy, well done as that must have been a nightmare with a cleat missing. I remember in 1986 climbing the Peyresourde, Col d'Aspin then hallucinating near the top of the Tourmalet. I was thinking I would never ride a bike again as I was in such a mess so I know what it feels like.
 
Great picture of Lance, captured how hard he is working, did you dart out and back in again to get it? What stage was it on?

shot 2, I guess you were fighting with bright sunshine, have you done much in PP to try to balance it? Would have like to see a bit more around cancellera but I know its not always possible.
 
ajj1001 said:
Great picture of Lance, captured how hard he is working, did you dart out and back in again to get it? What stage was it on?

It was the Col de Columbaire and I parked up overnight on the mountain in a layby. Thankfully it was only 4k up the hill and the crowd wasn't as bad further up the climbs and I had a clear 100m stretch and was sat on a low walled bank

I haven't pp any of these only autolevel and contrast as I was using my laptop in the back of my camper but feel free to give them an edit.

Cheers

Matt
Click to expand...
 
bensherman said:
I haven't pp any of these only autolevel and contrast as I was using my laptop in the back of my camper but feel free to give them an edit.

Cheers

Matt
Click to expand...

Even better shots if they are straight out of camera. The cancellara one will be even better with some adjustments. well done.
 
Thanks for that Alison. Here's the shot before with Cancellara...

Cancellara.jpg


Here's 2 shots from the same spot I was using 2 camera's...

Lead-group-on-Col-De-Columbaire.jpg


Thor-Hushovd.jpg


Cheers

Matt
 
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