the alp d'huez stage of the tour, anyone going?

i have just checked the dates of my shift holiday and it's in july, i was thinking of going to Morzine to go downhilling again and realised that the alp d'huez stage is a few days after i was thinking of going so i have decided that i'm gonna stay and see it and ride the area (very slowly though with those climbs!)

any one else thinking of going? it will be my first time seeing the tour in france, i have only ever seen it in portsmouth years ago, although i have climbed d'huez, i was alot fitter then and refused to buy climbing gears for the bike thinking "how hard can it be?" i spent an hour painfully grinding up in 39-23, this time i'll take the bike with climbing ratios!!

i also saw Lance on the climb, he was going up when i was descending, doubt he'll be there this time though!!

french meet anyone?

I'm going down from the 18th to 21st July. Watching a stage the day before Alpe D'Huez (I think), but probably won't catch the actual stage. However, when the tour has moved on we will ride Alpe D'Huez! Taking the MTB's and will stick some semi-slicks on for the ride up, then ride knobblies the rest of the time doing a bit of MTB'ing.

I want to ride Ventoux at some stage too, but will have to wait for another year

i will be there from the 14th (evening) and will leave on the morning of the 19th, the stage is on the 18th and they climb d'huez twice

would be good to meet up

Ah it's maybe the stage after we're watching then. Riding it twice is pretty impressive, especially given the distance they'll cover that day. I've been watching some of the old tour highlight vids of Alpe D'Heuz, atmosphere looks amazing. Massive crowds of people. Is there a Dutch corner too where they all party?! It'll be amazing! Will have to see if I can bump in to you.

yeah i'd love to find the dutch guys, they always seem mental when you see them on tv, Alpe d'Huez is just so iconic as a mountain climb.

what i am thinking of doing is getting to my hotel on the sunday, then early monday morning driving my van up the mountain and leaving it there so i have a base on the day, it's quite normal to do that apparently. that way i can leave some clothes/food etc in it and also not worry about my bike, which i would have rode to the van on as it will be inside the van as opposed to being lent up somewhere.

that's the current plan anyway.

jonnyboy666":17sgp2p9 said:

what i am thinking of doing is getting to my hotel on the sunday, then early monday morning driving my van up the mountain and leaving it there so i have a base on the day, it's quite normal to do that apparently.

that's the current plan anyway.

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I've seen the Tour on d'Huez a few times and you won't be driving up the mountain and finding a spot to park that's for sure!

When I went to see the TT up it a few years back they were shutting the roads to cyclists at 4am :shock: on the day of the race. With the expectations of the stage this year I can see the police using similar tactics :roll: I had to get off m bike and walk for a bit and then hop back on until I was stopped again a few hundred meters on. This happened all the way to the 5km from the top mark. Then I found a good spot and then pitched up for the day.

I remember a dodgy ol' hotel in Bourg d'Oisans where everyone pitched up on the lawn for free. There was one toilet for the site that bred disease and stank. I never washed for the three days I was there. I didn't pay also. I just packed up and left.

Other times I cycled up the mountain and kipped, or tried to as it's nearby impossible with the Dutch partying all night. d'Huez is great - love it!

bearing in mind the stage is on a thursday and i arrive on the sunday before, i was gonna leave the van up there on monday morning somewhere out of the way if possible, i'll scout it out when i get there, if it's not possible then i'm not worried but it would be good to have a base there.

we'll see what happens

Discussed on FB with Jon

I'll be at Alpe D'Huez & Les Deux Alpes for the 10 days leading up to Le Tour (for the Mega & Mountain of Hell)

Beers & After race partying in Alpe D'huez itself on the Sunday Eve before Le Tour.
Monday to recover
Riding Tues/Wed
Le Tour Thursday
MoH Fri-Sun

jonnyboy666":7o6jb829 said:

bearing in mind the stage is on a thursday and i arrive on the sunday before, i was gonna leave the van up there on monday morning somewhere out of the way if possible, i'll scout it out when i get there, if it's not possible then i'm not worried but it would be good to have a base there.

we'll see what happens

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Ah, you maybe alrighty then.

Sounds a right RB trip out!