Viewing Champs Elysees stage?
- Thread starter tigger
- Start date
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Noodley
Guest
There are a few ticketed grandstands but otherwise no restrictions.
Plentry chance to walk about and stand on chairs at cafes, up lamposts, on window ledges (they are huge!), or standing at barrier. I always thought it would be great to view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe which is free entry on a Sunday and will do this if I ever go back to see it.
Plentry chance to walk about and stand on chairs at cafes, up lamposts, on window ledges (they are huge!), or standing at barrier. I always thought it would be great to view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe which is free entry on a Sunday and will do this if I ever go back to see it.
Paul_L
Über Member
- Location
- Shipley, West Yorks
I saw the 97 Tour (Fat Jan's win) in Paris. We stood as the loop enters the Place de la Concorde which was a great spot, BUT to get on the barrier you have to be prepared to get there hours before the bunch comes through.
I was a red hot day if my memory serves me right, and we got horribly burnt.
I was a red hot day if my memory serves me right, and we got horribly burnt.
I went the year Landis "won" it - crowds were well down on the year before due to other drugs rumpuses so getting there an hour early meant we got a good view - IIRC about 400m up the Champs Elysee from the Pl de la Concorde. No idea if numbers have picked up again.
Make a weekend of it. I went with the family - my son keen on cycling, wife and daughter not, but while we grabbed a decent position, they went for a bit of window shopping and joined us during the race and enjoyed the atmosphere. Like London, Paris is so big that even the TDF does not cause hotel and travel prices to rise, so we got a fairly good deal on both.
Make a weekend of it. I went with the family - my son keen on cycling, wife and daughter not, but while we grabbed a decent position, they went for a bit of window shopping and joined us during the race and enjoyed the atmosphere. Like London, Paris is so big that even the TDF does not cause hotel and travel prices to rise, so we got a fairly good deal on both.
I saw one of Indurain's wins there. Hours spent squashed next to a sweaty, hairy, shirtless Frenchman, and all you see is the peloton whizz past in a blur (albeit several times).
Now I prefer to watch the time trial stages. Take a table and chairs, buy some fresh picnic ingredients from a local shop, open a few bottles of vin rouge and sit back in the sun. If you find a spot near one of the timing points you can also follow how well each rider's doing.
Now I prefer to watch the time trial stages. Take a table and chairs, buy some fresh picnic ingredients from a local shop, open a few bottles of vin rouge and sit back in the sun. If you find a spot near one of the timing points you can also follow how well each rider's doing.
