tod

If there are any Fodorites heading for France in July to see the most exciting race in the world, especially this year, please can you tell me how do you get to know which roads will be used? It's easy enough finding out the towns, but looking at a map of France there are several choices of roads. Seeing we will be there in June with a car, it would be nice to travel some of the route beforehand. Can anyone help?

Joelle

Here is the link:

http://www.letour.fr/2004/presentati...rs_flash2.html

tod

Hi Joelle-
Thanks for the website address. I'll see if I can find out more info on the EXACT roads that will be used.

Roadtrippers

We are also planning on catching a stage or two of the Tour this summer. Although the general route has been released, the detailed information is not usually released until May or so. When it is released, it will be posted on the official website. Hope this helps!

Joelle

Because this Tour is very popular, they generally use main highways (routes nationales).
Get a map of France and the real route should match these highways.

tod

Roadtrippers -I may be able to get the road route from a travel agent in Johannesburg who organised a biking trip for amateur cyclists. They did some of the stages after the main race had passed through last year. He may at this time have details and if I get them will pass them on.

job816

Tod, I am not sure which month it comes out probably May/June, but you will want to pick up a copy of Cyclesport - Phil Ligget's magazine. They usually provide a detailed route for each stage.
What stages are you catching? We will catch the finish in Nimes, the mountian stage ending in Villard and then the trime trial up Alsp d'huez.

tod

To;JOB816,
Thanks for that very handy information about Phil Liggets mag. I will search our local bookstores in May and if it's not available will pick up a copy in London. We are not going to be in France for the actual race in July but are motoring in June, from Chartes onto Bonneval, Chateaudun, Vendome`, past Chateu-Renault (now this is the hard part- the road splits and one way goes to Tours, the other to Neuille`-Pont-Pierre and so on towards Angers). If that will be the actual route used we will have to miss that part as we are going on from Tours through Azay-le-Rideau, Saumur then Angers. We will pick up the route again wherever Phil Ligget says it will be, and carry on until St, Brieuc.(If we have time) if not we need to get to St.Malo for the ferry to Jersey/Guernsey.
The whole idea is that when we do watch the race on TV we can identify with the route somewhat more intimately.
I'm sure you are going to have a great time actually being there. Please don't put any plastic bags anywhere near my hero - LANCE!

job816

Tod, I went to www.cyclesportmag.com to check which month details the race. Looking at past issues it seems its the July issue, which probably comes out late June. You could probably email them from their website to find out for sure. Have wonderful trip and don't worry, i use paper not plastic