Plateau de Beille to Mont-Ventoux

[Christopher]

Does any one have any experience on attending a mountain stage of the Tour de France? I find myself in France Friday July 19th through Sunday July 21st and want to see those three mountain stages of the Tour. Having watched this on OLNTV in the past I know that it will be a mob scene and I would like some guidance on how to plan for this from anyone who has experience.

Friday July 19th is LANNEMEZAN to PLATEAU de BEILLE

Saturday July 20th is LAVELANET to BEZIERS

SUNDAY July 21st is LODEVE to MONT-VENTOUX which is the most important.

Any thoughts or ideas on lodging, driving from stage to stage and, of course, where to eat would be most appreciated.

[Bux]

There's a typo in your schedule. It's LODÈVE to MONT-VENTOUX.

The question I have is how far in advance does one have to get to the place where you want to see the race? Do you plan on stopping for the night near the finish line of the stage or would it be better to drive on to get nearer to the next vantage point. I guess these are the questions you are asking and those to which I don't have answers. I have some familiarity with the Béziers area and hope to be there in less than a month. I don't know that area south of Toulouse up in the Pyrenees at all. I imagine it's sparsely populated. I've heard there's good hiking and skiing.

Lannemezan to Plateau de Beille should provide some great scenery in the Pyrenees but not much chance for great food. I don't know how it will compare to the climb up Mt. Ventoux for viewing.

[Bux]

For those interested, here's where to find out more about this year's race. Click for map and info.

[AdamLawrence]

I've never seen the Tour in person, but I have watched pro cycling a couple of times. The first thing to note is that the peloton goes past at a hell of a speed, even going up impossibly steep hills. I would guess that the Ventoux would be the biggest set piece hilltop finish of this year's Tour (they aren't going to Alpe d'Huez this time I think) - it has the history, what with Tommy Simpson et al - and consequently be the busiest. If you want to find a decent vantage point somewhere near the top of the hill then I'd guess you're going to have to get there very early in the day. Since I can't imagine they'll let you drive up the hill on race day, that's going to make seeing successive finishes tough, I'd have thought.

I think the Tour is maybe my favourite TV sporting event of all, and I imagine the atmosphere on a big climb would be amazing. But I doubt you'd actually _see_ much.

Adam

[FriedaL]

Two years ago, on quatorze Juillet no less, we watched the finish of the Tour étape in Draguignan (Var). We had arrived in the late morning, found miraculously a parking space (one friend knew the backstreets of the town), had lunch in one of the few decent places and then settled along the boulevard, some 300 meters before the finish, expecting to be bored for another hour or so, before the peloton raced to the line. But the reality was quite different. The anticipation among the spectators was tangible, not so much for the cyclists, but for that media spectacle that precedes the peloton, namely the caravanne. For one hour (it seemed)  a string of vans and some bizar vehicles passed the spectators, all the while tossing free gifts on the sidewalk: baseball caps with Michelin logos, keychains of a coffee brand, car sunscreens that advertised the latest Fiat model. The frenzy on the sidewalk was unbelievable, but also the later bartering: Your Michelin cap for my Fiat screen, and so on. Then there was a lull, an advance car, suddenly a sole rider. Behind him, at 300 meters, rounding the corner; the group in pursuit, too late.

Later, we walked to the finish line, where there was a seemingly disarray of  feting the winner with the Tour Miss of the day, booths of sponsors with past Tour riders, Poulidor in the coffee booth, handing out autographs, second-string riders retreating to their second-rate hotels,  while their bicycles were being pumped up in in the travelling vans of their team.

The Tour de Franc is a huge circus; very much worth watching from whatever perspective. The Mont Ventoux is such a classic. To get a good advantage point, I think you should prepare yourself early in the morning, with picnic stuff, and see how far up the mountain you will be allowed. Unfortunately, ther are no sneaky backroads there.

Frieda

[Gary Marshall]

i've done the start and finish of the tour but not the mountains, however i 've looked into it with a view of going and gave up due to the logistics (but don't let me put you off, i just like an easy life!). the tour is so huge it books up all the hotels in a big radius around the stage finish, worse when it ends somewhere fairly remote rather than a city centre finish. If you were going to a major mountain finish, ventoux, alpe d huez etc, spectators arrive days before! often 2 -3 to get the best vantage spots. Most seem to camp or go in camper vans. Often there's not enough room for the tour to stay on the mountain so the roads remain closed to allow the tour vehicles back down again. In a nutshell i'm saying allow maybe 3 days to see the ventoux finish it will not be easy! However even if you only get a fleeting glimpse of the leaders it can usually take an hour for the full peloton to come through so it won't be a waste of time, it's the atmosphere. the tour website www.letour.fr has full route details and timings for the race and cavalcade that precedes it. Try www.accor.com for french hotels of all categories. I'm tempted by the stage finish in reims but again put off by the fact it will be hard to find anywhere to stay or eat when the race is in town !