Guest Sally Pepper Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 Hi all Just watching all those motorhomes lining the route of 'Le Tour' is really giving me itchy feet for a quick continental excursion. Has anyone followed the Tour (or part of it) in a motorhome and what are the arrangements for parking at the side of the road and overnighting. Are there any restrictions or is it just a characteristically Gallic free for all? Any help/advice/tips would be most welcome. I can almost taste the Vin Ordinaire and Brie Yum! Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 http://www.letour.fr/2007/TDF/presentation/us/parcours.html Mark I,m sure that others have done something on this Don I think .. Good Luck have a wonderful time ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Bry Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 Hi Mark & welcome.Yep you are right, it is generally a free for all as to where you park. But certain things to remember are :- the best spots on any stage, especially the mountain ones, are taken up about 1-2 days before the stage arrives. The riders will be through any flat stage in about 1 minute for the main peleton.Obviously longer on a mountain stage.The police use a rolling road block system and hence there will be no movement until the police have cleared the road behind. Best to maybe plan your route to take in say 3 - 4 different stages spread over a distance, as you will find it very hard to drive to the next stage AND get a good spot. If you do it will mean driving during the evening when the riders are at rest and getting set up early in the following morning.If you get it right, some towns have fairs on during the race,so plenty to do before and after the main peleton has gone through your stage, that's if you're not racing to the next stage.Hope this gives you some ideas.Thai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sally Pepper Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 Great stuff - just the sort of info we're looking for. Thanks v much M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 Just to add what Brian has posted, on some of the more popular mountain stages you need to be there at least 3/4 days in advance to get a prime position. Once you are in place you are stuck there until it's all over. So make sure you have enough supplies to last you. Remember from 14th July (Bastille Day) to 15th August (Assumption) it is the main French holiday period and Le Tour is the biggest sporting event in France so be prepared for the crowds. Enjoy it, it's well worth the effort. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jana Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 Funny how few caravans are on the route. We have been bitten by the bug too after going to London to see the start. Wondering if we can do it with 5 days off work giving 2 weekends especially to see one of the mountain stages. Favourite MH spotted was the one decorate with red polka dots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enodreven Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 Hi, From other posts it would seem that if you want a campsite near one of the stages you need to book now for 2008, someone on another thread/site said that a few years ago they stayed at a campsite where they could walk to the start of one stage and then I think get a bus/taxi to another. I'm not sure where it was but it could be worth looking at next years route and trying to find somewhere that intersects one or more stages preferably at least one mountain stage ?. Here is a link to the stages for 2008 in Brittany albeit I don't think there are any mountain stages in Brittany?LoL http://www.letour.fr/2008/TDF/granddepart/us/parcours.html Does anyone know when the whole route will be published as i think I may have talked myself into going next year Thanks Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 The 2008 tour detals at http://www.letour.fr/2008/TDF/COURSE/us/le_tour_2008.html Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hughmer Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 Another part of the fun is the sponsors "caravan". This is a procession (if that's the right word) of lorries and vans, adorned with the sponsors' colours that precedes the riders. The vehicles start coming past AT GREAT SPEED around 2 hours before the bikes arrive. It's like Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Folk on the floats throw gifts to the waiting crowd. Keyrings, hats, more keyrings, pens, key rings, coffee, keyrings, oh .. and more keyrings. Because the vehicles are traveling at high speed , so are the gifts!! To avoid injury the float folk throw them at the feet of the spectators, and the gifts skid across the gravel followed by scurrying little children, and old grannies behaving like children. When the first float passed, we were not sure what was occurring, after it dawned on us we stood back being very British, but as the gifts kept coming we couldn't resist and joined in. Needless to say, we have our fair share of keyrings. The favourite and now cab mascot is a red squirrel, which is the logo of one of the banks. (squirreling money away... geddit?) We also have a white with red polka dot hat. This is the Champion super market brand colours. They sponsor "Le Meilleur Grimpeur" (best climber) Professional collectors use a bucket to catch the gifts and stand in front of anyone who speaks English. .................................................................................. One of the less pleasant aspects of the event is that local oiks get very drunk and think it's wildly entertaining to drive past a line of campers several times during the night sounding horns and generally making a nuisance of themselves. We were woken for the 4th time at 06.30 by a noisy group outside our window slapping the side of the vehicle. They moved on to a high top next door and started to shake it. I was deeply gratified with the result when the owner of the high top opened the side door and let his giant Alsatian loose on the pack. The dog must have been trained by the SAS because it leapt at the chief protagonist and knocked him to the floor. There was an awful lot of barking, snarling and shouting but the dog won the argument. Other people emerged from neighbouring vans and in no uncertain terms told the ne'r do wells to push of which they did. ..................................................................................... Here's a story. Don't know if it's true. The hills are graded. 1234. One being the steepest. This apparently dates back to the early 20th century when the organising committee set off in a 2cv to categorize the gradients. If the 2cv could do the hill in top gear it was graded 4. 3rd gear 3.... and so on There's a 5th category for ultra steep hills where they had to get out and push. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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