Planning, planning. Time is on my side. The official site has published
Parcours général and profils of the mountain stages but not itinéraires,
which is I think, the time table. This time table is very important because
it contains the crucial information when you want to know the detailed
course. Of course, anybody who has been to a bicycle race knows this.
It is going to be a week of race watch trip. It going to be a test to see
if I have done enough preparation for a long race watch trip before TdF.
It is over 650km of overnight drive to Grenoble. I hope that the prologue
begins late in the afternoon. I wish I could drive on Saturday but I
cannot.
Prologue: Pont-de-Claix / Grenoble
Watch plan
Staying at Pont-de-Claix.
Actually I am not sure if I can make it to Grenoble in time. After the
race, I will check in a camp site near Grenoble for a good night sleep.
"Camping France" by Michelin helped me find a candidate.
Étape 1: Grenoble - Roanne
Watch plan
Watching the start in Grenoble and moving to the feed zone after
the start?
I expect the feed zone is somewhat close to the next stage's start
(Saint-Paul-en-Jarez), so driving to the feed zone won't do any harm.
I will check in a camp site near Saint-Paul-en-Jarez.
Étape 2: Staint-Paul-en-Jarez - Saint-Etienne
Watch plan
Watch the race at start and finish seems to be easy since there is
a connection between the two cities by way of the highway A47.
I am not sure if I can make it to the feed zone by way of A74. I will
have to wait for the time table to be made available by the organizer
if it should be made available at all.
When the race is over, I will drive to a camp site near Anneyron.
There are two suitable sites that I have found in "ECC" (Europa
Camping Caravaning).
Étape 3: Anneyron
Watch plan
C.L.M (Contra-la-montre, time trial) has two category 4 climbs.
What to do?
After the race is over, I will drive to le Mont Ventoux to stay the night
there. Is staying at the top of le Mont Ventoux allowed? It is possible to
camp out in the area?
Étape 4: Hauterives - Le Mont Ventoux
Watch plan
Waiting at the top of le Mont Ventoux.
It would be nice if I could park my car near the top because I can
watch TV with my mobile satellite system in my car while waiting
for the race to come.
There is another thing in my mind. Namely, doing the Mont Ventoux.
From Bédoin, it is said that a well trained amateur cyclist could reach
the top in two to three hours.
After the finish, I will move to Nyons. There are camp sites near the town.
Étape 5: Nyons - Digne-les-Bains
Watch plan
Watching the start in Nyons?
Since making it to the next watch point (Valloire or Col de la Croix de Fer)
is important, I will watch the race in Nyons and move on. So I expect to
be at Col de la Croix de Fer sometime in the evening. I hope I can find
a place to stay there.
Étape 6: Gap - Valloire
Watch plan
Waiting at Col de la Croix de Fer.
After the race, I will try to find a place to stay in Valloire.
Étape 7: Valloire - Annecy
Watch plan
Waiting at Col du Terégraphe. I will try to reach Annecy before the race finish
by way of the highway (A41).
I will climb up to Col du Terégraphe while parking the car down at village of
Saint-Martin-D' Arc.
After the race goes, the traffic and the pedestrians make a terrible
congestion. So moving is much quicker by bicycle down to the village
and following the race is much less pain.
This is the plan so far.
Parcours général and profils of the mountain stages but not itinéraires,
which is I think, the time table. This time table is very important because
it contains the crucial information when you want to know the detailed
course. Of course, anybody who has been to a bicycle race knows this.
It is going to be a week of race watch trip. It going to be a test to see
if I have done enough preparation for a long race watch trip before TdF.
It is over 650km of overnight drive to Grenoble. I hope that the prologue
begins late in the afternoon. I wish I could drive on Saturday but I
cannot.
Prologue: Pont-de-Claix / Grenoble
Watch plan
Staying at Pont-de-Claix.
Actually I am not sure if I can make it to Grenoble in time. After the
race, I will check in a camp site near Grenoble for a good night sleep.
"Camping France" by Michelin helped me find a candidate.
Étape 1: Grenoble - Roanne
Watch plan
Watching the start in Grenoble and moving to the feed zone after
the start?
I expect the feed zone is somewhat close to the next stage's start
(Saint-Paul-en-Jarez), so driving to the feed zone won't do any harm.
I will check in a camp site near Saint-Paul-en-Jarez.
Étape 2: Staint-Paul-en-Jarez - Saint-Etienne
Watch plan
Watch the race at start and finish seems to be easy since there is
a connection between the two cities by way of the highway A47.
I am not sure if I can make it to the feed zone by way of A74. I will
have to wait for the time table to be made available by the organizer
if it should be made available at all.
When the race is over, I will drive to a camp site near Anneyron.
There are two suitable sites that I have found in "ECC" (Europa
Camping Caravaning).
Étape 3: Anneyron
Watch plan
C.L.M (Contra-la-montre, time trial) has two category 4 climbs.
What to do?
After the race is over, I will drive to le Mont Ventoux to stay the night
there. Is staying at the top of le Mont Ventoux allowed? It is possible to
camp out in the area?
Étape 4: Hauterives - Le Mont Ventoux
Watch plan
Waiting at the top of le Mont Ventoux.
It would be nice if I could park my car near the top because I can
watch TV with my mobile satellite system in my car while waiting
for the race to come.
There is another thing in my mind. Namely, doing the Mont Ventoux.
From Bédoin, it is said that a well trained amateur cyclist could reach
the top in two to three hours.
After the finish, I will move to Nyons. There are camp sites near the town.
Étape 5: Nyons - Digne-les-Bains
Watch plan
Watching the start in Nyons?
Since making it to the next watch point (Valloire or Col de la Croix de Fer)
is important, I will watch the race in Nyons and move on. So I expect to
be at Col de la Croix de Fer sometime in the evening. I hope I can find
a place to stay there.
Étape 6: Gap - Valloire
Watch plan
Waiting at Col de la Croix de Fer.
After the race, I will try to find a place to stay in Valloire.
Étape 7: Valloire - Annecy
Watch plan
Waiting at Col du Terégraphe. I will try to reach Annecy before the race finish
by way of the highway (A41).
I will climb up to Col du Terégraphe while parking the car down at village of
Saint-Martin-D' Arc.
After the race goes, the traffic and the pedestrians make a terrible
congestion. So moving is much quicker by bicycle down to the village
and following the race is much less pain.
This is the plan so far.
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