How to visit 1 or 2 stages of the 2004 TDF

My wife and I (Wisconsin, USA) plan to visit Great Britain and Spain
during July of 2004. I would like to coordinate our trip in Spain
with stages 12 and/or 13 of the 2004 Tour de France (which are in the
Pyrenees) close to the French/Spanish border.

Stage 12 is Castelsarrasin - La Mongie
Stage 13 is Lannemezan - Plateau de Beille

On the web, I have found plenty of companies that offer guided
trips for the TDF, but we don't want a guided tour. However, we don't
know how to plan for it. Is there some resource(s) out there for to assist
the non-guided Tour spectator?

Thanks,
Bryan Walton

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"Bryan K. Walton" wrote in message . ..
My wife and I (Wisconsin, USA) plan to visit Great Britain and Spain
during July of 2004. I would like to coordinate our trip in Spain
with stages 12 and/or 13 of the 2004 Tour de France (which are in the
Pyrenees) close to the French/Spanish border.

Stage 12 is Castelsarrasin - La Mongie
Stage 13 is Lannemezan - Plateau de Beille

On the web, I have found plenty of companies that offer guided
trips for the TDF, but we don't want a guided tour. However, we don't
know how to plan for it. Is there some resource(s) out there for to assist
the non-guided Tour spectator?

I think it should be pretty straightforward, e.g., by using internet search
or travel agent, with the stage map from the Tour zeb site. The only tricky
part is if you want to bring your bike, because French hotels may strongly
object to storing them in the room. I have no clue hoz to deql zith it.
Ask Mike Jacubowski (sp), he's done it before, check out his web site
at chain reaction bike store.

-ilan

P;S; I zill never get used to these stupid French ter,inqls.

"Bryan K. Walton" wrote in message . ..
My wife and I (Wisconsin, USA) plan to visit Great Britain and Spain
during July of 2004. I would like to coordinate our trip in Spain
with stages 12 and/or 13 of the 2004 Tour de France (which are in the
Pyrenees) close to the French/Spanish border.

Stage 12 is Castelsarrasin - La Mongie
Stage 13 is Lannemezan - Plateau de Beille

On the web, I have found plenty of companies that offer guided
trips for the TDF, but we don't want a guided tour. However, we don't
know how to plan for it. Is there some resource(s) out there for to assist
the non-guided Tour spectator?

Thanks,
Bryan Walton

Hi,

You have a few options depending on the route and what you'd like to
see.

You can choose a spot and hang out there for the day. Choose a summit
or a small village where you won't be sitting on the side of the road
by your lonesome. The road closes 2 or so hours before the tour comes
through. Just pull over on to the shoulder and wait. www.letour.com
will have a schedule of when the the tour will come through certain
spots on the stage. It would be easier for you to move about with a
car. But when the roads are closed there is more liberty if you ride a
bike. Bicycles are allowed on the road up until the publicity caravan
comes through. No tickets, permits or fees required to sit on the side
of the road.

If you want to see a finish get there a good 3-4 hours before the
riders come through. If you want to collect autographs I found the
start to be a better oportunity. Just look for the team bus parking
and the riders will come through. The team sign in at the start was
interesting to see.

If you can get a short wave radio you can keep up to date if you know
the language.

Enjoy,
Andy

Ilan Vardi wrote:
"Bryan K. Walton" wrote in message . ..

My wife and I (Wisconsin, USA) plan to visit Great Britain and Spain
during July of 2004. I would like to coordinate our trip in Spain
with stages 12 and/or 13 of the 2004 Tour de France (which are in the
Pyrenees) close to the French/Spanish border.

Stage 12 is Castelsarrasin - La Mongie
Stage 13 is Lannemezan - Plateau de Beille

On the web, I have found plenty of companies that offer guided
trips for the TDF, but we don't want a guided tour. However, we don't
know how to plan for it. Is there some resource(s) out there for to assist
the non-guided Tour spectator?


I think it should be pretty straightforward, e.g., by using internet search
or travel agent, with the stage map from the Tour zeb site. The only tricky
part is if you want to bring your bike, because French hotels may strongly
object to storing them in the room. I have no clue hoz to deql zith it.
Ask Mike Jacubowski (sp), he's done it before, check out his web site
at chain reaction bike store.

-ilan

P;S; I zill never get used to these stupid French ter,inqls.

Get references, before selecting travel group. I've seen some great
photos and accounts, but that doesn't mean there weren't some people who
had a lousy experience.

"Ah'd like eh ruum for ze night weeth moi bicicle."
"A 'ruum'?"
"Oui, a ruum."
"Waat eez a 'ruum'?"

(AMH) writes:

You can choose a spot and hang out there for the day. Choose a summit
or a small village where you won't be sitting on the side of the road
by your lonesome. The road closes 2 or so hours before the tour comes
through.

I don't know about climbs in the middle of a stage, but on finishing
climbs the road is usually closed to automobile traffic far more
than 2 hours ahead of the race. If you're not on a finishing climb
the day before the stage, then you'll probably have to walk or ride
up. At least that's been my experience.

--
Michael Fuhr
http://www.fuhr.org/~mfuhr/

Bryan K. Walton wrote:
Stage 12 is Castelsarrasin - La Mongie
Stage 13 is Lannemezan - Plateau de Beille

On the web, I have found plenty of companies that offer guided
trips for the TDF, but we don't want a guided tour. However, we don't
know how to plan for it. Is there some resource(s) out there for to assist
the non-guided Tour spectator?

Start he
http://www.tourmalet.com/
http://www.plateau-de-beille.com/en/

All the ski resorts have web pages, most are multi-lingual.

I have had good luck with local tourism offices.

Bob Schwartz

(Michael Fuhr) wrote in message ...
(AMH) writes:

You can choose a spot and hang out there for the day. Choose a summit
or a small village where you won't be sitting on the side of the road
by your lonesome. The road closes 2 or so hours before the tour comes
through.

I don't know about climbs in the middle of a stage, but on finishing
climbs the road is usually closed to automobile traffic far more
than 2 hours ahead of the race. If you're not on a finishing climb
the day before the stage, then you'll probably have to walk or ride
up. At least that's been my experience.

Yeah that is true in the two finishes the OP mentioned. They should be
where the fireworks will be going off in the GC. I was at a few
finishes in 03 and it was too crowded for my taste. Next year I'm
hoping to catch a descent in the Alps. I don't remember seeing too
many people on the side of the road watching the peloton making their
way down a mountain.

Andy

"Bryan K. Walton" wrote in message . ..
My wife and I (Wisconsin, USA) plan to visit Great Britain and Spain
during July of 2004. I would like to coordinate our trip in Spain
with stages 12 and/or 13 of the 2004 Tour de France (which are in the
Pyrenees) close to the French/Spanish border.

Stage 12 is Castelsarrasin - La Mongie
Stage 13 is Lannemezan - Plateau de Beille

On the web, I have found plenty of companies that offer guided
trips for the TDF, but we don't want a guided tour. However, we don't
know how to plan for it. Is there some resource(s) out there for to assist
the non-guided Tour spectator?

Thanks,
Bryan Walton

You can fly into Biarritz cheap from Stansted. If I remember it 2
hours or so to La Mongie from there. Bikes are a hassle, but worth it
if you don't intend to get there a day early and camp out.

One thing that's nice about the tour - all rules are off. We camped
overnight at "l'Aire"s off the autoroutes which are like rest stops on
the freeway. Tons of people pack into their campers and cars on the
mountains. A tour group for two days - probably not worth the money.

One thing to be ready for - when the stage ends...mahem getting off
the mountain. If do you bring bikes - I'd park in Luz Saint Sauveur,
ride the Tourmalet, Descend to La Mongie - then ride up, over, and
back down to LSS to your car. You'll take a completely separate
valley out of there and hopefully allow you to get to the next stage.

Email me if you need more ideas. I've done a bunch of stages without
Tours - you'll have a great time.

-a (not a CUTTER)

Bryan:

The problem with doing it on your own is finding a place to stay; virtually
everything for kilometers around gets booked within hours of the route
announcement (in fact, I understand that most of Avignon was booked up in
anticipation of the route going up Ventoux, which didn't turn out to be the
case... and when you reserve a hotel in France, you post a fairly sizeable
non-refundable deposit!).

I've spent time on my own, as well as time with tour groups. The big
advantage to a touring company is that you don't have to worry about where
you're staying (that's not to say that you especially *like* wherever you're
styaing... I'd avoid Lourdes if possible!).

If you don't mind camping out, you'll find people do it all over the place
(as another poster mentioned, "all rules are off" during the TDF). But if
you don't want to live out of your car and/or would like a shower, it's
going to be tough. If you bring bikes and don't mind riding in maybe 60
kilometers or so, you might find an available hotel. Plus, it's much easier
getting through all the traffic by bike; if you go by car, plan to get there
at least a day early.

We've got a fair amount of info on our website at
www.ChainReaction.com/france.htm, some of which might be helpful to you.
Also, a listing of touring companies you can get to from that page, although
it doesn't sound like a touring company would make sense, since the TDF
isn't the primary purpose of your trip, and I don't know of any that
specialize in just a day or two.

--Mike--
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com

"Bryan K. Walton" wrote in message
...
My wife and I (Wisconsin, USA) plan to visit Great Britain and Spain
during July of 2004. I would like to coordinate our trip in Spain
with stages 12 and/or 13 of the 2004 Tour de France (which are in the
Pyrenees) close to the French/Spanish border.

Stage 12 is Castelsarrasin - La Mongie
Stage 13 is Lannemezan - Plateau de Beille

On the web, I have found plenty of companies that offer guided
trips for the TDF, but we don't want a guided tour. However, we don't
know how to plan for it. Is there some resource(s) out there for to
assist
the non-guided Tour spectator?

Thanks,
Bryan Walton

--
************** remove the "REMOVE" from my email to email **************

I want to thank each of you for your thoughtful replies about how to
best see the TDF stages I mentioned in my original post. I have made
careful notations about each thing you mentioned. My wife and I are
trying to make up our mind about what we want to do and will probably
be visiting a travel agent very soon.

Thanks again!!
-Bryan


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