Following the TdF in a Motorhome

IRT following the TdF in a motorhome:

Did that at Alp d'Huez in 2001. There were thousands of motorhome and tenters parked for miles along
the route. We drove a Hymer motorhome powered with a little Fiat diesel. What a great engine! Got
about 20 mpg and was able to keep up with traffic on the autobahn with no problems at all. The
biggest problem was the disparity between gas/electrical connections. We rented the motorhome in
Germany and took it to France. I feel the best approach would be to rent the motorhome in France but
request that the rental agency provide adaptors for the rest of Europe.

It did get a bit narrow on the actual TdF route, particularly in the mountains where the serpentine
backroads with thousand foot drop offs had NO guard rails! At one point we had to stop to let the
smoking brakes cool off. The only reason we were able to park next to the route was because some
friends held a spot for us. Nevertheless, it was still very tight and to this day I am amazed that
we managed to get the motorhome in there.

Forget about trying to get near every finish line. The roads are too clogged and are usually closed
to motor vehicle traffic a day in advance. I suggest picking stages about 2 to 3 days apart so you
can jump ahead and find a good parking place. The amazing party atmosphere all along the route will
keep you entertained while waiting for the race to come thru. Whatever you cannot see in the flesh
you can watch on TV.

Regards & Tailwinds from the Velo Nut

Dale V Lally Jr Pompano Beach FL 33064 954 788 3980 [email protected]

Lally, Dale V Jr. "German Chronicle in the History of the Ohio Valley and its Capital City
Cincinnati in Particular" published by Heritage Books, 1992 (www.heritagebooks.com). Translated by
Dale Lally from the original German "Deutscher Chronik in der Geschichte des Ohio-thales und seiner
Hauptstadt Cincinnati in's besondere" by Emil Klauprecht (Cincinnati: 1864).

Bell, Trudy & Dale Lally. "Best Bike Rides in NY NJ & PA" Globe-Pequot Press:1999
www.globe-pequot.com

Lally, Dale V Jr. "Bed, Breakfast & Bike Mississippi Valley" Anacus Press:2001 www.anacus.com

Lally, Dale V Jr. "Bed, Breakfast & Bike Florida" scheduled for publication by the Anacus Press
in mid-2003.

The person with experience has little to learn from the person with theory.