As the Tour de France is passing 15K from us on the 25th of July has anyone got any tips for watching it from the roadside with 3 youngsters aged 10 and 8??? I know it's probably mad and we would see more if we watched it on the televison but it's passing by so why miss the experience. i am asuming we won't be able to drive up to the road and park.
Any tips welcome.
unfortunately not vic. at the crucial moment the battery died. c'est la vie!!!!!!
Did you get any photos Fred? ;-)
watched the tour go through our town, marciac in the gers, sat outside the PMU cafe in pole position by the curb. great day for the children, and some adults, picking up the "freebies". bit of a social event with the mayor out as well. as expected the cyclists were in one huge group but still great to see them close up.
Some of us were so wet that we will not need a bath for a month!
Even though it rained,and rained it was well the trip to Eymet have some lunch and watch it all..Fabulous !
Back from a very stormy but most enjoyable experience. the boys were very happy with their "Free Loot" as one of my Nephews called it. And the cyclists were very impressve. We got a great spot but ended up picnicing in the car when the storms came through. Met a friend at the same spot so a good experience overall.
Safety would be my main concern with 2 young one's. The Caravan comes through a quite a pace and their throwing leaves a little to be desired. It would be very easy for a child(or adult) to see something land in front of them and automatically step forward to get it..There are also quite a few vehicles that come through individually for the half hour before the caravane and they are not going slowly so diligence is required!!We did not have a huge wait between the Caravane and the riders ( Puycelsi, a couple of years ago) The tour website has a general guide as to timings of both the Caravane and the riders so that is worth a look. We arrived an hour before the race, parked in a side road and walked up with picnic, we were one of the first there! The helicopter is a good indication of where the racers are!
I am sure you will enjoy it, it was worth the wait to say you have actually been!
Get there early and be prepared to cheer and wiggle your derriere! - It improves your chances of getting freebies from the caravan.
There are some lovely, even medieval bits in Linton, the former Bell pub for instance. But otherwise, I agree 200%. I lived in Brinkley - Balsham, West Wratting, Weston Colville and then that's it. Tiny village, couple of extremely nice and very grand houses, truly ancient church but that is all. 15 minutes into Cambridge via Fulbourn though, lovely for work. Bet it would be all hell to get there during the bike thingy though.
Brian, you obviously lived the wrong side of the A11 :) Saffron Walden is a beautiful town whereas Linton - well there are no words to describe it really, its just a large newish housing estate...... (I have a grandson starting at Linton College in September). He lives in West Wickham. Whereabouts were you? My eldest son lived in LA before returing to their home in West Wickham and rode to San Francisco for a charity bike ride - in Lycra, so its not all bad...............
The same, no interest in bicycles other than point a to b and not in lycra either. I lived just above Linton, so a few minutes from Suffering Boredom, whoop sorry, Saffron Walden, for over 30 years until 10 years ago and would have turned out to be part of the crowd no doubt. As close as it is here at the end of the week, depending on 'demands' in the family I am not sure but might well find my small self on tiptoes trying to see!
Loved watching it on TV. We lived in Saffron Walden for many years and moved out to Radwinter where we lived for 20 years before coming over here - found it very nostalgic and have had to listen to friends back in UK telling us how good it was and how they felt such a part of the Tour. I would definitely take the children, the atmosphere alone should keep them happy!! but thats only my humble opinion.......
I've never really been interested in loads of blokes in tight licra on bikes - until this year and the fact that it started in Yorkshire, my home county. So i put it on telly and was amazed by the thousands flocking the villages and dales and the effort made by people to decorate the route and themselves in honour of the event. Then I watched mouth agape as these cyclists packed like sardines in a can, en masse, fought for the front and to stay there. I have become a convert. Although there are many chunks of boring bits there are also lovely camera views from helicopters and often amusing commentary. We have friends who plan their hols around it even thought they're not cyclists themselves, and even though the TV coverage is excellent I think that one day I might be tempted to see it live.
Helicopter to viewers; 'We 'ave somesing. Oh, eet ees white squares, zey look like letters. Aha, zey are eff, ooo....'
Not that your lovely young women would ever do that, heavens forfend. Lucky they are not coming over our field though :-) :-)
will do, Véro ;-)
Veronique,
Monbazillac is where we plan to watch if we can find a patch of grass on the climb up to the chateau - We will have my daughter, son in law & 2 grandchildren with us (Cycling family!) plus 2 French friends who live near Paris - we met them when cycling in Majorca & then they came to stay in our gite when we lived near Fonroque. Good luck with the field art!
It's coming through Monbazillac on Friday 25th - we are shut in for the day as the roads are closed round chez moi. My daughters are planning a bit of land art ie some huge design done in sheets on the grass, visible from a helicopter, so look out for it :-).
I'm very, very jealous, Gordon! Especially as I had originaly planned to go to the Uk and watch the second stage go past my sister's house in Cragg Vale and past here old house in Rippondon but work got in the way :-(
Still the TV coverage is as excellent as ever and it's on all afternoon in the back of the tabac :-)
Andrew,
Sorry to make you envious but I`m just back from watching the first 2 stages in the Yorkshire dales - fantastic - you will have seen the crowds and the yellow sheep on TV!
Next week the Tour comes through where we live on its way to Bergerac - couldn`t have chosen the route better myself as a Yorkshire man living in the Dordogne!
We watched with our 11 & 13 year old grandchildern - 3 generations cycling on the closed roads in the Yorkshire dales - magic!