Tour de France

[Tjf]

Anyone been to see the tour live? In particular Alp D'Huez. I'd like to know where best to see the
action, time to go up and how to get up to the hairpin bend section etc.

Thanks.

 

[Becka Currant]

In article <[email protected]>, "TJF" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Anyone been to see the tour live? In particular Alp D'Huez. I'd like to know where best to see the
>action, time to go up and how to get up to the hairpin bend section etc.

Not me but my H has. I've seen the Route du Sud and we're planning on watching some of the Pyrenees
stages of the Vuelta this year too.

Best action: on the mountains obviously cos it's slower (relatively!!). On a major climb it might be
worth thinking about where the attacks are likely to come etc and where in the day the Alpe d'huez
is (beginning, middle, end etc).

Time to go up?? Early as really to ensure you get a good view. Some people camp out overnight...
Don't forget the picnic, sun cream and liquid refreshment.

How to get up?: I've done it by car on the Plateau de Beille cos it was the last mountain and we got
there early before the roads were closed. My H cycled up after doing the etape last year to watch
the pros do the last climb. Early is probably better before the roads are closed, but remember
they'll be closed to vehicles much earlier than they are closed to cyclists.

HTH

Becka

--
Becka Currant All views are my own blah blah blah "From now on we're going to have a little less
ritual and a little more fun around here". Spike in Buffy

 

[Les Kennedy]

You can ride up in the morning - earlier the better, but they don't close the roads as such.
Gendarmes might make you walk a bit though.

You might get diverted in the closing 2k or so, but the hard bit is done by then. Good luck !

(Oh and take the ticket offered you by the camera guys assistant - you use it to find the photo they
take of almost all the cyclists riding up)
--

E-mail : [email protected] "PDannyD" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...
> "TJF" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > Anyone been to see the tour live? In particular Alp D'Huez. I'd like to know where best to see
> > the action, time to go up and how to
> get
> > up to the hairpin bend section etc.
>
> I believe the roads close early so you either walk up, go up really early
or
> spend the night there. I hope to be there if I can get the time off work
and
> get fit enough so 'hello' in advance to any UKRC people.

 

[Pdannyd]

"TJF" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Anyone been to see the tour live? In particular Alp D'Huez. I'd like to know where best to see the
> action, time to go up and how to
get
> up to the hairpin bend section etc.

I believe the roads close early so you either walk up, go up really early or spend the night there.
I hope to be there if I can get the time off work and get fit enough so 'hello' in advance to any
UKRC people.

 

[Michael Green]

"TJF" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Anyone been to see the tour live? In particular Alp D'Huez. I'd like to know where best to see the
> action, time to go up and how to get up to the hairpin bend section etc.
>
> Thanks.

Any mainstream TV planned?

 

[Les Kennedy]

I've seen it twice on the Alpe - it's great. If you are a cyclist then you should make the effort to
ride up there and appreciate what those guys are going through. Early is definitely the way - the
Gendarmes have road blocks to stop cyclists at a couple of places, and you have to wheel the bike
past. Then once past, you can saddle up and the spectators will push you ! Wherever you see it on
the Alpe it should be spectacular. We rode up early last time, got showered at our hotel, saw the
early action on Eurosport and then legged it to just past the 1km banner to watch them all go past -
best of both worlds - we actually knew what was happening. Or most of it anyway !

--

E-mail : [email protected] "Becka Currant" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, "TJF" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> >Anyone been to see the tour live? In particular Alp D'Huez. I'd like to know where best to see
> >the action, time to go up and how to
get
> >up to the hairpin bend section etc.
>
> Not me but my H has. I've seen the Route du Sud and we're planning on watching some of the
> Pyrenees stages of the Vuelta this year too.
>
> Best action: on the mountains obviously cos it's slower (relatively!!).
On a
> major climb it might be worth thinking about where the attacks are likely
to
> come etc and where in the day the Alpe d'huez is (beginning, middle, end
etc).
>
> Time to go up?? Early as really to ensure you get a good view. Some
people
> camp out overnight... Don't forget the picnic, sun cream and liquid refreshment.
>
> How to get up?: I've done it by car on the Plateau de Beille cos it was
the
> last mountain and we got there early before the roads were closed. My H cycled up after doing the
> etape last year to watch the pros do the last
climb.
> Early is probably better before the roads are closed, but remember
they'll be
> closed to vehicles much earlier than they are closed to cyclists.
>
>
> HTH
>
> Becka
>
> --
> Becka Currant All views are my own blah blah blah "From now on we're going to have a little less
> ritual and a little more fun around here". Spike in Buffy

 

[Dan.Gregory1]

If you're riding up a col early be aware that there will be lots of traffic fumes from the cars...
All the best Dan Gregory

 

[Jon Martin]

> > Anyone been to see the tour live? In particular Alp D'Huez. I'd like to know where best to see
> > the action, time to go up and how to
> get
> > up to the hairpin bend section etc.

Haven't actually been to the Alpe (caught the stage finish in Plouay last year), but surely the
best strategy is to gatecrash the wild party that the Dutch always seem to have on some point in
the climb! Their English will be better than ours and I bet that's quite an experience - might
even forget about te race all together!

 

[Terry]

Michael Green wrote:
> "TJF" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>> Anyone been to see the tour live? In particular Alp D'Huez. I'd like to know where best to see
>> the action, time to go up and how to get up to the hairpin bend section etc.
>>
>> Thanks.
>
> Any mainstream TV planned?

Eurosport have started advertising it already!

 

[Tjf]

Thanks for the input. Coming from Australia. "les kennedy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've seen it twice on the Alpe - it's great. If you are a cyclist then you should make the effort
> to ride up there and appreciate what those guys are going through. Early is definitely the way -
> the Gendarmes have road blocks to stop cyclists at a couple of places, and you have to wheel the
> bike past. Then once past, you can saddle up and the spectators will push you ! Wherever
you
> see it on the Alpe it should be spectacular. We rode up early last time,
got
> showered at our hotel, saw the early action on Eurosport and then legged
it
> to just past the 1km banner to watch them all go past - best of both worlds - we actually knew
> what was happening. Or most of it anyway !
>
> --
>
> E-mail : [email protected] "Becka Currant" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > In article <[email protected]>, "TJF"
<[email protected]>
> wrote:
> > >Anyone been to see the tour live? In particular Alp D'Huez. I'd like to know where best to see
> > >the action, time to go up and how to
> get
> > >up to the hairpin bend section etc.
> >
> > Not me but my H has. I've seen the Route du Sud and we're planning on watching some of the
> > Pyrenees stages of the Vuelta this year too.
> >
> > Best action: on the mountains obviously cos it's slower (relatively!!).
> On a
> > major climb it might be worth thinking about where the attacks are
likely
> to
> > come etc and where in the day the Alpe d'huez is (beginning, middle, end
> etc).
> >
> > Time to go up?? Early as really to ensure you get a good view. Some
> people
> > camp out overnight... Don't forget the picnic, sun cream and liquid refreshment.
> >
> > How to get up?: I've done it by car on the Plateau de Beille cos it was
> the
> > last mountain and we got there early before the roads were closed. My H cycled up after doing
> > the etape last year to watch the pros do the last
> climb.
> > Early is probably better before the roads are closed, but remember
> they'll be
> > closed to vehicles much earlier than they are closed to cyclists.
> >
> >
> > HTH
> >
> > Becka
> >
> > --
> > Becka Currant All views are my own blah blah blah "From now on we're going to have a little less
> > ritual and a little more fun around here". Spike in Buffy

 

[Pdannyd]

"Jon Martin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> > > Anyone been to see the tour live? In particular Alp D'Huez. I'd like to know where best to see
> > > the action, time to go up and how
to
> > get
> > > up to the hairpin bend section etc.
>
> Haven't actually been to the Alpe (caught the stage finish in Plouay last year), but surely
> the best strategy is to gatecrash the wild party
that
> the Dutch always seem to have on some point in the climb! Their English will be better than ours
> and I bet that's quite an experience - might even forget about the race all together!

Excellent plan! Wine-bottles-in-the-back-pockets it is then.

 

[Ewoud Dronkert]

PDannyD wrote:
> Excellent plan! Wine-bottles-in-the-back-pockets it is then.

Aaah! http://www.xs4all.nl/~ewoud/cycling/backpocket.jpg