Tour de France

[PeterCD]

Does anyone know when the route details will be available for the TdF?

Particularly interested in the Cognac - Angouleme 55k time trial

PeterCD

[Clair]

The info in English should be here: http://www.letour.fr/2007/TDF/presentation/us/parcours.html

[TreizeVents]

The exact exact route is usually not published for a few weeks, in easily available places.  As you will have disccovered, the Tour Website does not really have the details you want.  But they are already known, and have been for two months or more.  We know the exact route around our town, and the precise route has been published for Montpellier.  Both came from local papers.  Towns and cities have to get ready.  So my advice would be to ring up the mairie in both towns and ask.  If there is an utterly obvious route between them, then ring up a couple of mairies on that route and ask.  They will all know.  Another tactic would be to ring up the regional paper, and talk to someone who does sports, they will also have the exact route.   Certainly if you suspect you are on the route, then your mayor will know.

I suggest you scout out a place in the shade.  Perhaps a place where there is a bit of visibility to see them coming.  Maybe also something slightly interesting, like a bit of climb or a curve.  It is not the way you would want to ONLY watch the Tour, but its a real treat now and again.  Its one of the few times when you can see each rider clearly, see how they deal with an obstacle or notice the gears they use, and a great way to have a picnic.  I still remember watching Le Mond at that lake in the middle of nowhere.  Vassivieres.   Be sure to buy L'Equipe on the day and get there early enough to catch the caravan.  But then maybe you knew all this.

[moonraker]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Tour_de_France

[sid]

Moonraker

The Wikipedia site doesn't give any more information than the official Tour de France site. We already know the route overall (stage start-finish). At some point, yet to be discovered, they publish the detailed route with timings for the race to reach each crossroads, town centre, mountain top etc etc. It really is a logistical nightmare for someone! I can't remember when the details appear. As other posters have already stated, the details will be known by those who 'need to know'. I can only suggest that we keep looking at the official site.

www.letour.fr

The timetables are  under PARCOURS and then LES ITINERAIRE HORAIRES So far only the first 8 stages are available in detail.

Sid

 

[TreizeVents]

[quote user="sid"]

At some point, yet to be discovered, they publish the detailed route with timings for the race to reach each crossroads, town centre, mountain top etc etc. It really is a logistical nightmare for someone! I can't remember when the details appear. As other posters have already stated, the details will be known by those who 'need to know'. I can only suggest that we keep looking at the official site.

[/quote]

Just to be clear.  The details are ALREADY known.  The route near you will have been published in your local paper.  Maybe you don't read it.  It has been published in mine.  However, it is not available to the world at large on a website yet.  You can find out by asking at the mairie. 

Logistical nightmare, maybe.  But for ASO, the organisation that owns L'Equipe, many other profitable races and the exceedingly profitable Tour de France it is just a job of work.   http://www.aso.fr/index_us.html They are already planning the route for 2008, and in fact the details of some stages are already known.  If for some reason I find the details of 2007 published before one of you do, I shall post them.  But you can find out the details of your local route if you really want to make the effort.

[sid]

[quote user="TreizeVents"] But you can find out the details of your local route if you really want to make the effort.

[/quote]

Treizevents

It'll be in my local paper IF I live on or near the route!

Yes, it's a matter of how much effort were prepared to make now, knowing that the full details WILL be available on the official web site in good time. It certainly doesn't matter to me if the race enters Angouleme at 16:00 or 15:45 or whatever, I've got 3 months to get ready so I'm not worrying now.

I do understand that the route is already known, it's just not common knowledge, otherwise we wouldn't have to make a great effort! [;-)]

I'll be in Cognac and Angouleme together with my visiting cycling enthusiast friends. I much prefer watching on the climbs though but there aren't many of those around here. [:)]

Sid

[TreizeVents]

Hi Sid,

I love time trials.  Hope you have a good perspective.  I gather you will see the start or something and then rocket along to the finish.  Hope that works out.  I would set the video, and just stay in one spot.  Oh, and take a radio.  Did you know that a normal short wave radio should be able to pick up "Tour Radio".  Last time I looked it was on 153,000khz, but that was some years ago.

Good luck.  Its going through my town, or nearly so.  But I want to watch the start in Montpellier, or at least hang around the start a bit.  So although the route is fixed, near to the time I will have to go to the mairie and find out exactly what roads going west out of Mopntpellier will be closed and when.  It leaves the city and goes to my town, but I should be able to beat it there if I take the main road, N109.  But closer to where I live there is only one road.  Will it be closed?  Exactly when?  So I need to do some research too.  I might have to miss the start in order to see it in my town.  But at least I will catch the finsh the previous day.  Montpellier is one of the few towns with a start and finsh.

[ianf]

I love time trials too even though I was a road racer when I was younger. Rode a 10 this afternoon in 24:50, so still some umph left in my oldish legs. The thingsI will miss when I move to France wiill be my cycling club mates and the regular time trials I currently ride (2 a week in the season)

[TreizeVents]

Hi Ian,

Well, its true that the French do not get quite as worked up about weekly time trials as the Brits, for historic reasons I am sure you know.  But there are lots more clubs in France, in lots more places.  And they do know how to organise cyclosportifs and randonees, so there is one every week in the season, probably within driving distance of your home.  That is one thing, the cyclosportives and randonees, that most Brit cyclists are pretty impressed with.  One of my pals went along to the Ardechoise http://www.ardechoise.com/index.php3 which is the biggie, and came to my house after.  He was singing and dancing with immense praise for the organisers.  This year I hope to manage the Semaine Federale  http://www.sf2007-perigord.org/ where 12,000 people gather for a bit of fun with bicycles.  I think they do those things really well here.  So there will be subsitutes.  Sadly, nothing can ever replace old freinds, and you will simply miss them. 

Maybe you know all this, if no my apologies, although others might find the URLs useful.

[sid]

Hi Guys

Yes, I'm a time trial fan too. Never managed anything spectacular in UK, and I'm slowing down now, but that's the beauty of time trialling, you can just race against yourself!

I'll be setting the video to record the TV coverage, but sampling the atmosphere out on the road somewhere (not yet decided where). [8-|]

Sid

[sid]

The details are emerging on the official site! Up to and including stage 15 available now.

http://www.letour.fr/2007/TDF/presentation/fr/horaires_1500.html  (for stage 15)

I'm still waiting for Angouleme but the next update is scheduled for 14 May.

Sid