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Tour de France Viewing in Person- What to Expect (Part 2)
After the Tour Passes By One of the best ways to enjoy
the races after the riders pass by is to find a local café or
bar with a TV and then watch the end of the race while partaking
of a few adult beverages with your group. On our Pyrenees tour
last year, several people in the group listed as one of their
favorite memories of the week our time at the bar watching the
American George Hincapie, Lance Armstrong's teammate, win at the
finish of the penultimate mountain stage. We viewed the riders
earlier that day in person from the Col de Menthe, a Category 1
climb which was not far away. Afterwards we saw the finish on
TV, and the bar was filled with local French people, as well as
groups of Australians and of course us Americans. The cheers
when Hincapie pulled away to win were raucous, and even the
local Frenchman were laughing at the enthusiasm of the American
group. When Armstrong's main rivals were on the screen, a chorus
of resounding "boos" filled the room, and this brought many
laughs. After the finish we stopped on our way back to our hotel
next to a field of sunflowers and took pictures in the field
amongst the flowers. I'm sure our tour guests won't forget the
memories of that day for a long time. The bar owner enjoyed our
company as well and invited us back (he did well that day), and
we'll certainly be there again next year with our group.
Starts and Finishes of Stages It's good to remember that
the Tour de France is the largest spectator sporting event in
the world. Everyone wants to see the riders at the starts and
finishes. Unless our hotel happens to be in the town of a start
or finish where we can walk to the event, we generally try to
avoid these. The crowds are literally overwhelming, and just to
get a view of the podium award ceremony is to risk being
squeezed like a sardine in a can. I say this from personal
experience. It really isn't worth the effort unless one has VIP
tickets to the fenced-off areas at the starts and finishes of
stages.
Souvenirs If you are hoping to come home with a boat-load
of souvenirs, keep this in mind: buy them as soon as possible.
If you wait to purchase them later, the stands and vehicles will
be gone. It is amazing how fast the vendors pull up stakes and
leave after the last rider passes their location. Remember, the
Tour de France lasts for over 3 weeks, and the vendors are off
in no time to beat the peleton to the next location.
Autographs These are hard to come by. The riders are
protected form the crowds, and even if you are near them at a
start or
finish, they're usually riding and are not
approachable. Some tours have agreements with former Tour
riders, and in that situation, of course, one can get autographs
and pictures with the former riders. We are expecting to include
this experience in our 2006 tours. Unless your group is in the
same hotel with a participating team, an unlikely happenstance,
it's hard to get autographs, so set your expectations
accordingly and hope for the best.
Bathroom Facilities (or lack thereof) These are available
in towns, and a few areas outside of starts and finishes.
Oftentimes, however, there is nothing nearby. At the St. Etienne
time trial in the 2005 Tour, the only "facilities" were in the
corn field adjacent to the road from which we viewed the riders
pass. This was not a big problem for the men, and it was a
little surprising to see how well the ladies adapted to this
predicament. They realized there was no other choice and didn't
complain, even laughing about the situation while heading off to
the corn field in pairs (a guard was advisable). This year we
have found a product that might offer a little better
alternative called P-Mate. With this apparatus ladies can void
themselves while standing. (I'm not making this up.) This item
is then put into a plastic bag for later disposal. Of course
French bathrooms do not have the best reputation in any case,
but that is perhaps another article for another day.
Is It Worth It? Apparently the answer is a resounding
"yes". One of our guests on our Pyrenees tour last summer summed
it up by writing, "This is the coolest thing we have ever
done!". Many others express the same sort of reaction as well.
With the right set of expectations, that should hopefully be the
state of mind of just about everyone who wishes to see one of
the world's great sporting events in person. The charm of
France, the excellent wine and cuisine, and the beautiful French
countryside coupled with the country's history are added bonuses
as well. And a souvenir on your desk or office wall showing that
you made it to the top of the Alp d'Huez is not a bad trophy
either.
About the author:
Walt Ballenberger is founder of Beaux Voyages , which
provides active tours in France including Tour de France bike
tours. He has lived and worked in France and speaks the language
fluently.
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