How to spectate at TdF?

[Apeman]

Hi there Meenaghman. No such luck with TG4-I live in a spot between Sligo and Leitrim transmitters that is blocked by a bloody big hill- I would need the aerial on a 100ft mast to get reception! Freeview doesnt work either so its back to ITV4. Will you be at Lap the Lough on Sunday?

 

[papercorn2000]

Best way to see the TDF is on a mountain top finish. Especially if you can find a wee village about half way up. Ride up (getting cheered on by all and sundry - especially drunk dutch people) and find a spot by the road (in shade if poss). If you are in a village, there may be a giant screen set up. Watch the thousands of cyclists riding up, watch the caravan go through (and get a daft hat). You can watch the race unfold on the giant screen until its about 1/2 an hour away. Then you can see and hear the helicopters approach along the valley and the tension begins to ratchet up! If you are lucky, you can watch the race on the screen until it is just a few minutes away, then you rush to the roadsie and watch the riders going by for (on ADH) up to 40 minutes. The you get on your bike and join the long lines of bikes winding their way home.
It's a great day out.
Take plenty of sunscreen, money for drinks and, if you can, something to sit on.

However, if it's raining, find a bar.

 

[meenaghman]

Ha looks likes I will be getting wet lapping lough Neagh on Sunday. Was going to do the Yeats country tour around Sligo and N Leitrim this weekend but its on Sat. not Sunday and I'm busy then.

 

[Toshiba Boy]

Have always chosen mountain stage (Alpe D'Huez in particular...great atmosphere) or TT/Prologue, always been great.

As others have said, you need to make a day(s) of it, with the actual spectating just a small part of the overall fun.

IMHO nothings beats a full day on a major climb (especially the last one of the day, when they're strung out), superb ride or walk up to your vantage point, great laugh with fellow cycling lovers from all over the globe, sun shining (hopefully), fantastic views, .... oh, and then the race comes by...and there's no entrance fee

Last time me and 2 mates watched on Alpe D'Huez (the year they had the TT up it), it was piping hot, and next to us a French Family had their bottles of wine, the Americans across the road had their Coca Colas in ice boxes and the Germans to our left had the big motorhome and free running beer. Phil turns to me and our mate, says "Fancy a brew lads?", gets out his Calor gas Stove and puts kettle on. Cue much shaking of heads from the French, Yanks and Germans, all with their cold drinks, at the 3 mad Englishmen, with their chipped enamel cups of char....ahh, National stereotypes, you can't beat them

 

[wafflycat]

Do not go to the Champs Elysee to attempt to watch the final stage. It's a PITA and you end up seeing naff all whilst being stood on & jostled by those who have had a tad too much wine (and it's not the Brits causing the hassle).

On the other hand... if you do a time trial stage, where the start & finish are relatively close together, you can have a great time.

Because it's not a mass start, the riders arrive in dribs & drabs, spent time with the fans, do their warm-ups on turbos by the team buses..

 

[cheadle hulme]

If I had to do it again, I would pick a 'quiet' point on the course, maybe 80k from the end in a small village or hamlet. I would make sure there was a pub and that the pub had a TV and a toilet.

Watch the coverage with the locals in the pub / bar tabac, nip out to watch the caravan pass, nip back in for a swift half, back out to cheer on the breakaway and the main pack then back to the pub to debate the winner / will the break succeed / will *** abandon etc.

+1 the French are big on civic pride and villages tend to put on a bit of a BBQ, drinks tent etc. We couldn't get up Mont Ventoux this year (I could on the bike, but had the missus in tow). We settled down on a bend just outside a small village.

The locals were very friendly and there was several hundred people there. They all donned white dressing gowns to get noticed on TV!

When the race had passed, we nipped over to the screen to watch the action.

 

[papercorn2000]

My folks were following the race in '89 and decide on spec to go to Paris to watch the final TT. Said that the atmosphere was electric - even before they saw it on TV later, they could see that Lemond was going to win - because he was visibly going so much faster than everyone else.
Otherwise, I think that the Paris stage is best seen on TV.