Tour de France 2015 Route reveled

[PommieYeti]

Well its here the tdf 2015 route

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/t ... 015-140386" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We better start looking at accommodation and pic my viewing days and before i forget get the holiday forms in to work

[toolonglegs]

The northern part looks great! ... love riding up there.

[Scott2468]

Stage 19 looks mighty interesting.

I see they first go up Chaussy but I cant find a map. Do they go up les lacets de Montvernier or through Le Chatel?

I hope they do the lacets but I expect they probably will not. Either way this is another crazy, small goat track, similar to when they took them down La Sarenne. Great overhangs, cliff faces, huge vistas, even bigger potholes. Surely they will re-pave the road. I said this with Sarenne and they didnt.

This was one of my most memorable days cycling ever. Zig and zagged up the lacets, Chaussy, down, Madeleine, La Chambre then back to camp for beer.

[Scott2468]

Still cant find maps but I jumped in too early.

I see in the profile of stage 18 they are climbing the lacets before descending into Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. This will be spectacular!

First they will be softened up by the brutal Glandon. I rate Glandon as probably one the toughest climb around. It is not only long but near the top it goes from 7, 8, 9, 10%, not for pinches but kilometres.

[roller]

First they will be softened up by the brutal Glandon. I rate Glandon as probably one the toughest climb around. It is not only long but near the top it goes from 7, 8, 9, 10%, not for pinches but kilometres.

I would agree with you there. I did it on the etape 2012, madeleine > glandon > mollard > la tousuirre. Brutal.

Nice to see they are doing something similar this year.

[toolonglegs]

So who's coming over to visit ?

[clackers]

So who's coming over to visit ?

Not Chris Froome, apparently.

Says he will probably do the Giro instead, so he won't need to use the couch at your place, TLL!

[Scott2468]

So who's coming over to visit ?

I probably will again.

Not during the Tour. Too many people, too expensive, too little accomodation, too much traffic.

[PommieYeti]

We have just booked 3 nights accomdation near Tarbes so hopefully we can get a hire car and see a few days racing on the 14th 15th and 16th, now gotta plane the rest of the trip sightseeing as the Mrs says 3 days is quite enough of bikes...lol

[toolonglegs]

Pretty easy to plan a sightseeing trip in that area
If you are after a rental bike down that way my mates run a pretty good ship.
http://www.wandeo.fr/gb/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[PommieYeti]

Anyone know where i can find detailed maps on the roads where stages 10,11 and 12 i need to figure out where will be a good place to watch. A rental bike would be a good way to go but dont think my mrs will be keen for me to have a bike and her walk ....or maybe we can get that tandem...lol

ive looked here but it only shows the map for the first 2 stages unless they release the maps later on ? but i would have thought they would have it all sorted before now
http://www.steephill.tv/tour-de-france/#summary" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks

[toolonglegs]

Finalized maps only come out fairly close to the tour ( with actual expected times ) ... saying that some stages are easy to figure out.
Stage 11 is obvious as there is basically only one road for the loop they want to do. For me personally I would head to Cauterets and ride all the way up to Pont D'espagne, a stunning ride following a river ... good for a swim in the heat of summer, then cruise back down to the new S bends below Cauterets ( newly repaired after the floods a couple of years ago ) to watch the race. But then you might prefer the absolute choas on the Tourmalet .
Stage 10 is similar ... not many choices in that area, final climb is obvious. I haven't looked at stage 12.

PS I see you aren't riding. That will take a bit more planning. In areas like that if you are driving you have to be there very early and be prepared for either a long walk or wait. Bare in mind climbs like Tourmalet and maybe Aspin etc will not be open to traffic on the day of the race... or will close very early. This is totally up to the local Gendarmes depending on traffic.

If you wife isn't a fanatic then maybe one day on a climb ( where you actually get to make out who they are ) and get to enjoy the publicity caravan. Then the other days find a small village that you can get to via a side road so you don't have to hang around for a couple of hours between the caravan and the race, watch the race come through and then settle in to a bar to watch the race.

Start villages and feed zones are good fun too.

[PommieYeti]

Thanks for the advice mate

I defiantly want to see a climb as last year I was in Yorkshire waiting on a county lane just on the bend after a little incline , we were waiting at least 5 hours (I rode to that one with a mate on a borrowed bike) and they went past in about 40 seconds flat, then everyone turned around and went home ....so this time I wanna at least be able to make out who is who, and the caravan parade had run out of freebies when it got to us ...lol. But the atmosphere was great and I wouldn't change it but this time hopefully it will be better.

Your idea of 1 climb and the 2 days watching in a small village sounds the ticket, we fly in on the rest day would it be worth going to Pau(from Lourdes as thats where we staying) to see if we can see anything ?
as for getting around i hadn't thought of that fully yet I was hoping puplic transport or taxis might be the way to go and walk the rest of the ways ? my wife realizes its going to be a long day if we watch a climb and she happy with that
sounds like you know the area very well

thanks for the info it will help lots.

[toolonglegs]

Definitely think about hiring a car... there really isn't much public transport around those areas ... taxi's won't happen mate, if they agree to take you anywhere near the route in the Pyrenees they certainly won't be going anywhere near the area after the race... you will be stuck. Lot's of research needed on that one.
Staying in Lourdes ... been there before?

[PommieYeti]

OH no you got me worried now

We never been to Lourdes all I know is that its where people go to do a religious pilgrimage thing? and something to do with miracles ? other than that nothing. Its just we were on a tight schedule in the UK and there was a plane leaving from Stanstead to Lourdes so we booked it, wanted to be in Paris for the finish but my wife has work so has to be back (she's a teacher) we were in Paris the day before the finish back in 2010 but I wasn't into cycling then so we headed to Le-Harve instead....why why did i do that..lol

yeah i think i better start having a look for a rental car or even a little scooter would prob do the trick ?

just looked at out itinerary(yeah I should have looked before now ) We were gonna catch the train from lourdes to Marseille but it looks like it will be cheaper to do a car from Lourdes and drop it off in Marseille then continue on the train to Nice Piza, Florance then Rome

[toolonglegs]

Yes if a car is an option then definitely do it. Especially as you are not riding. There really isn't much in the way of public transport heading into the hills and having a car will allow you to explore more.
AND as you are staying in Lourdes you may be looking for any excuse to get out of the place . It is a "special" sort of place. Lourdes is 2nd only to Paris in number of hotel rooms anywhere in France which is insane... and they are all there for one reason. Certainly worth a look but having a car will allow you to get out of the town and up into some of the beauty which isn't far away.