Riding TdF stage - diy trip

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Hello all, been riding for years but new to forum.

wonder if anyone can share experiences of riding a TdF stage, more likely a section of... thinking mountains here but all info appreciated. Not looking for organised tours or anything with entry fee etc. I like diy. Been think of doing this for last 3 years...

I talked to someone on a ride long time back (but don't live in that area any more)- They claim to have ridden a mountain stage on the same day of the TdF stage - starting very early, then pulling off the road when race arrived, watched the race and started up again once passed. The road was closed to traffic throughout.

any thoughts on how possible this is? otherwise, are roads often closed the day before / after?
 

Ice2911

Über Member
5D3AADB9-9777-45D3-B742-93DDF3AE906B.jpeg Welcome to CC. French Revolutions by Tim Moore might give you some ideas. It’s on my list to do , hopefully the full tour stages at my leisure at some point. I know there are organised tours that do this. Absolutely no reason you can’t find the route and ride s stage yourself including the mountains. Good luck and have fun.
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
No mountain stories I'm afraid. I don't think I would be able to ride a mountain stage.

It's great fun to ride the route on the morning of the stage, when the roads are closed before the ride comes through. I've done that a couple of times. You get to see the gendarmes and all the tour workers busily setting stuff up. People are setting their picnics up. I even got accompanied up one slight incline by a jester, shouting encouragement in French. Well, I think it was encouragement. ;) I didn't try to do the whole route as I had to ride some way to get to the route, then find a watching spot, then ride back.

The claim to have ridden a stage by starting early, then getting off the road when the caravan catches you, then carrying on after the race has passed (now on open roads) sounds entirely plausible to me based on my experience, provided you can handle the terrain. (My experiences were on flat flat stages)

:welcome:by the way


Edit: From my experience the roads are closed on the morning of the stage and opened up again soon after the race has gone. I'm not exactly sure what time in the morning they were closed.
 
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johnblack

Über Member
We did parts of the Alpe D'huez stage last year, early start, they don't shut off the road until an hour or so before. Saw the caravan early, took a short cut, rode up the top to Huez with a stop a Dutch Corner, bought a load of supplies in the supermarket and came back down a few k's to watch the race come past. Great day, went o the start the following day in Bourg after doing a couple of local climbs first.
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
We did parts of the Alpe D'huez stage last year, early start, they don't shut off the road until an hour or so before.
It's obviously very variable. I rode on closed roads at 8 or 9 am where the race wasn't due until 1 pm or thereabouts. This was in Normandy - a flat stage.
 

Kempstonian

Has the memory of a goldfish
Location
Bedford
Here's another

 
OP
OP
K

Karlos rider

Regular
Thank you for responses so far!
I knew there would be some experiences of previous year's stages, and great to know that road closures are variable depending on the local area to the stage.
to clarify - I will be riding the later / fnal section of the race to give maximum time beforehand.

I'm having a struggle with dates for leave this year and so Pyrenees are out.
looking at Stage 9 Saint-Étienne > Brioude as most likely.
 
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