| What does an HC (hors categorie, or "out of | | | | on race days, and most of the people who are on the |
| category") or even a Category 1 or | | | | side of the road at the top have been camping there |
| Category 2 climb feel like? Can I do it, or would I need | | | | for several days or have hiked miles to see the finish. |
| to get off and walk? How much of the Tour de | | | | They are only in a position to see one stage, so for |
| France will I get to see if I go there on an organized | | | | organized tours that wish to view several stages in |
| tour? These are just several of the many questions | | | | succession, this situation is not an option. If one is |
| cyclists ask while they are contemplating a trip to | | | | fortunate enough to see a time trial stage, the whole |
| France to see the Tour. | | | | problem is alleviated. Riders pass by one at a time |
| Experiencing the Tour de France in person can be the | | | | throughout the day, so the "vanishing peleton" problem |
| fulfillment of a lifetime dream for many cyclists. Seeing | | | | is not an issue in that case. |
| the colorful peleton swoosh by, riding the famous | | | | The French Police |
| mountains like the Alp d'Huez or Col du Galibier in the | | | | The French police, called gendarmes, provide security |
| Alps, for example, are dreams for many cyclists, both | | | | along the race routes, and they can be very arbitrary. |
| avid riders and weekenders. Watching the Tour on | | | | The roads upon which the Tour is held will be closed |
| OLN is not like being there, however, and those who | | | | by the police sometime before the Sponsor's Caravan |
| have the right expectations will get the most for their | | | | arrives. This colorful parade of vehicles precedes the |
| time and their money. | | | | riders typically by an hour, and samples of various |
| How Much Will I See? | | | | products are tossed from the vehicles to the |
| One must first realize that being at the side of the | | | | spectators. Most of the gendarmes are tolerant of the |
| road for the Tour is not the same as watching stages | | | | tourists who ride bikes along the Tour race route |
| on TV. Television has great advantages, of course, | | | | before the peleton arrives. Sometimes, however, if one |
| due to the cameras mounted on motorcycles and | | | | is riding a bike on the Tour route for the day, a |
| helicopters which follow the riders. In that way one can | | | | gendarme might be strict and will tell that person he |
| follow the progress of specific riders for several hours. | | | | cannot ride on the road any longer because it is |
| When one is at the Tour in person, however, the | | | | closed. The best course of action is to get off the bike, |
| peleton goes by quickly, and many novices seem | | | | walk along until the gendarme is no longer in view, and |
| almost perplexed by the obvious. Some say things like | | | | then take off riding again to get to where you want to |
| "Gee, that was fast. I didn't get to see much at all." And | | | | go. This technique isn't always foolproof, however. |
| this is true if the location one watches from is on a flat | | | | On one stage of the 2005 Tour de France our guests |
| area early in the day's race. Even if there is a | | | | were riding on the Tour route, and they returned rather |
| breakaway by then, one would see only the small | | | | quickly saying that a gendarme would not let them |
| group of escapees and then the peleton zoom by | | | | continue on the road. I later rode my bike in the same |
| probably just a few minutes later. | | | | direction they did in order to investigate. I passed quite |
| View the Action At Climbs | | | | a number of gendarmes along the way, and all they |
| The best way to combat this problem is to view | | | | did was to tell me to stay well to the side and be |
| stages at climbs. Getting to the route hours before the | | | | careful. At about 10 kilometers from the finish line a |
| riders arrive, one can ride a favorite climb, like the Col | | | | gendarme stopped me and asked where I came from. |
| du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees or the Alp d'Huez, for | | | | I told him "the United States". Somewhat exasperated, |
| example. Expert cyclists can ride the whole climb, but | | | | he sputtered, "no, how far have you been riding on the |
| novices need only ride a portion so that they can get a | | | | road, it's closed!" I said I came from kilometer 3 and |
| taste of what it is like for the pros. They can also pick | | | | passed many gendarmes, none of them stopped me |
| out a good viewing spot, although organized tours may | | | | and all just told me to be careful. He said "well, they |
| stake out a spot for their group. Some of the best | | | | are not doing their jobs, but I'm doing mine!" |
| spots are found after climbing several switchbacks | | | | This was the archetypical Frenchman, king of his little |
| and locating yourself where you can look down the hill | | | | plot of turf. He made me go off on a side road for |
| and see the riders approaching from below. They will | | | | awhile before finding the Tour road again closer to our |
| take a while to reach you, and since the peleton is | | | | viewing position. Fortunately the vast majority of |
| often spread out on the climbs, your viewing time will | | | | gendarmes are more reasonable than this person, but |
| be much longer, perhaps even 20-30 minutes on some | | | | they are responsible for public safety and are doing a |
| stages. You will get a better look at the individual riders | | | | balancing act between that and letting the tourists |
| as well, as they obviously move slower on the | | | | enjoy themselves. Of course when the Sponsor's |
| upslopes. The frenzied mountain top finishes one sees | | | | Caravan arrives, one has no choice but to stop, as the |
| on TV can also be misleading for first time Tour | | | | vehicles zip by quickly and are somewhat reckless at |
| viewers. Many of these locations are not accessible | | | | times. |