A day with the Tour de France
Jul 6th, 2012, 08:54 PM
#1
Original Poster
A day with the Tour de France
I know that a lot of people are interested in seeing this at least once but they have no idea how to go about it. Apart from the spectacular mountain stages which require quite a bit of planning and often the willingness to camp along the road for sometimes two or three days, it is actually quite simple to find a city to go to or locate a road where the Tour will pass.
It is not for the impatient, because if you are driving, you have to be places several hours early since they close the roads, so once you have parked the car, you have lots of waiting to do. Even if you take the train to one of the cities, you still have to stake out a viewing point and hold your ground for a few hours.
Lots of people take picnic supplies for the day. The locals even bring their furniture with them.
Anyway, I wanted to see a stage this week, so I went to Abbeville on Wednesday. Abbeville is not too far from Paris and it was the starting point for the day. I had never been to a starting point, so I figured it was time to see a bit of the hoopla organized by a host city. These cities apply (and pay) years in advance to be a starting or finishing point because the publicity is priceless for them -- not only global television exposure but also 100,000 or more people coming to your town for the day and spending money there.
It was supposed to rain all day Wednesday, and I was prepared for it. But as things turned out, I didn't get a drop of rain where I was and most of the day was gloriously sunny.
Here is my report: http://tinyurl.com/d29vbtv
It is not for the impatient, because if you are driving, you have to be places several hours early since they close the roads, so once you have parked the car, you have lots of waiting to do. Even if you take the train to one of the cities, you still have to stake out a viewing point and hold your ground for a few hours.
Lots of people take picnic supplies for the day. The locals even bring their furniture with them.
Anyway, I wanted to see a stage this week, so I went to Abbeville on Wednesday. Abbeville is not too far from Paris and it was the starting point for the day. I had never been to a starting point, so I figured it was time to see a bit of the hoopla organized by a host city. These cities apply (and pay) years in advance to be a starting or finishing point because the publicity is priceless for them -- not only global television exposure but also 100,000 or more people coming to your town for the day and spending money there.
It was supposed to rain all day Wednesday, and I was prepared for it. But as things turned out, I didn't get a drop of rain where I was and most of the day was gloriously sunny.
Here is my report: http://tinyurl.com/d29vbtv
Jul 6th, 2012, 09:54 PM
#3
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 558
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Merci beaucoup, kerouac. Great report bringing back fond memories of my trip last year where I managed to see five stages - it is indeed a long day and a spectacle quite apart from the actual cycling action. Even more so on the mountain stages with hordes of followers in all sorts of costumes adding to the action.
(Click on my user name to find my actual trip report if anyone's interested.)
This year I am having to resort to a virtual visit - live telecast supplemented with SBS Tour tracker, Google Earth and the official route and an actual paper atlas. Tour tragic, that's me.
At least this year I know what's going on. Last year when I was supposedly following le Tour, I always missed the news telling me who was where.
It was a real thrill to be in Paris to see the first Aussie win the race. Let's hope for a follow up this year. There have been so many crashes so far. Let's hope the rest of the race can be accident-free
(Click on my user name to find my actual trip report if anyone's interested.)
This year I am having to resort to a virtual visit - live telecast supplemented with SBS Tour tracker, Google Earth and the official route and an actual paper atlas. Tour tragic, that's me.
At least this year I know what's going on. Last year when I was supposedly following le Tour, I always missed the news telling me who was where.
It was a real thrill to be in Paris to see the first Aussie win the race. Let's hope for a follow up this year. There have been so many crashes so far. Let's hope the rest of the race can be accident-free
Jul 6th, 2012, 10:15 PM
#4
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the report, Kerouac.
We're planning to see something of the final day's ride into Paris.
Any suggestions for a good vantage spot between Rambouillet and Paris would be appreciated! We've already watched a finish through Paris, so this time thought we'd like to see something different.
Di
We're planning to see something of the final day's ride into Paris.
Any suggestions for a good vantage spot between Rambouillet and Paris would be appreciated! We've already watched a finish through Paris, so this time thought we'd like to see something different.
Di
Jul 6th, 2012, 11:05 PM
#5
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,289
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great report and photos. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed the photos of the 3 breakout riders and then the mass coming behind them.
We've done a few things this past year in the UK that would have previously ranked too high on the hassle scale, but in the end you don't remember the hassle but you remember the event forever.
We've done a few things this past year in the UK that would have previously ranked too high on the hassle scale, but in the end you don't remember the hassle but you remember the event forever.
Jul 7th, 2012, 08:26 AM
#6
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 462
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you for your wonderful pictures. My husband and I watch the Tour every year on tv. Had no idea there was a parade and activities before the actual race. Is this typical at every beginning stage?
Jul 7th, 2012, 08:41 AM
#7
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There's an advertising caravan that goes before every stage throwing out trash and trinkets. That's how people get all that TdF stuff like those big green hands. I think they show the caravan once in a while on TV but it would have to be a repeat session in the evening.
Jul 7th, 2012, 08:50 AM
#8
Original Poster
Yes, obviously all of the weird little tidbits will never be shown on global television -- if only because most of the advertisers are local and are considered to be of no 'value' to the rest of the world. But it is a great part of the show and helps people to wait all of those long hours until they at last see the racers go by.
Jul 7th, 2012, 09:02 AM
#9
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,876
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Our kids went on a Tour tour one time, and had an incredible time. They are cyclists so it was both to see the Tour, and to cycle parts of some of the Tour. Finished in Paris on their hotel balcony overlooking the finishing stages. DS took one picture on the Col d'Aspin that had all 4 of the "jerseys" in it--with Lance in yellow.
Jul 8th, 2012, 11:43 AM
#11
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,082
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great report and photos - thanks for showing a point of view we don't get a chance to see much of. Watching stage 4 on TV, the helicopter shots of the alabaster cliffs were beautiful and they even showed Etretat - one of our favorite places anywhere.
What a fantastic day today for the youngster Pinot! Watching him take the lead on the final climb and hold on during that wild descent to win the stage was incredible. Seeing the intense emotions shown by his coach in the team car was incredible too.
What a fantastic day today for the youngster Pinot! Watching him take the lead on the final climb and hold on during that wild descent to win the stage was incredible. Seeing the intense emotions shown by his coach in the team car was incredible too.
Jul 9th, 2012, 06:05 AM
#12
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,784
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bravo, as always. Once again your photographic eye has opened my own eyes to a slice of French life. Now, if you only could explain the appeal of the Eurovision song contest, my mind might rest at peace.
Jul 9th, 2012, 09:19 AM
#13
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,552
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Another terrific piece, kerouac - no surprise there. And for once, my partner appreciates my "travel thing", since he's an avid follower of the Tour via cable t.v. and really enjoyed your report.
The "weird little tidbits" which "help people to wait all of those long hours" made me think of our local version, in Times Square on New Year's Eve. But what a pale comparison to those stupendous advertising creations you captured!
The "weird little tidbits" which "help people to wait all of those long hours" made me think of our local version, in Times Square on New Year's Eve. But what a pale comparison to those stupendous advertising creations you captured!
Jul 13th, 2012, 06:02 AM
#15
Original Poster
I've been watching the Tour on television of course, and there are many areas totally empty of people in the mountains, so access is clearly much more complicated than in the plains where I went to see it.
Jul 13th, 2012, 09:30 AM
#16
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 662
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you for the report - loved every bit of it, especially since there was no waiting involved. 
Who knew that there was ever an occasion for "throws" in France?! I thought that was an only in New Orleans thing. What fun - the whole event is so colorful.
Who knew that there was ever an occasion for "throws" in France?! I thought that was an only in New Orleans thing. What fun - the whole event is so colorful.
Jul 20th, 2012, 04:37 AM
#19
Original Poster
If anybody is interested, you can see the start from Rambouillet on Sunday morning. There are trains from Montparnasse every half hour and the trip takes a half hour. This still leaves plenty of time to get back to Paris in time for the arrival on the Champs Elysées.
