On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 07:30:51 GMT in rec.bicycles.rides, "John
Metsy" <
[email protected]> wrote:
> I am keen to go and watch some of the 2005 Tour de France
>
> Are there any good news groups where I can find out about where are good
> places to watch. And just what is the best way to make the most of a
> once-in-a-lifetime chance.
>
How much do you have to spend, and how much time? I found that
following the last 2 weeks of the '04 Tour was very tiring, since
I was doing a lot of driving every day. I want to go back to
France again, and I'm very glad I was there to see Lance win his
6th, but France is just too hot for me in July.
Best places to actually see the race is at or near the top of
hill climbs. You can rarely see much at most finishes or starts,
and on the flats they move so fast that they're gone in a few
seconds.
The roads close early, and the mountain climbs are lined wall to
wall with motor homes. There really *were* a million people on
Alpe d'Huez, and all of them seemed to appear at *my* corner
after I had been camped there for 3 days!
The staffs of the Tour, the sponsors, and all the sportscasters
suck up almost all the reasonably priced hotel rooms. Velonews
publishes a guide in June with all the details, but I didn't find
one until a few hours before my plane left Seattle in July.
Read Bob Roll's "Tour de France Companion" for a lot of good
tips.
Europe will be expensive this summer --- the dollar has been
sliding. Filling a compact car's tank was 50 euros, and now the
euro is at $1.50 instead of $1.20.
If you can sort through the trolls, rec.bicycles.racing will have
some info, too.