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Le Tour de France 2016


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It will probably pass not too far from us. I will have to find a more detailed route map.

Luckily, the tour has gone through our local village of Ambrieres les Vallees twice in the past 9 years. It's a great day out for us.

I've just ordered a new Cannondale so I plan to ride some of the route myself soon. Well, maybe next summer!
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[quote user="Jonzjob"]Carcassonne start on my birthday!![8-|]

Well, they missed it by a day for the catorze din they, they're always late. Mind you the revolution did start on the 13th init!![:-))]

[/quote]

Perhaps we should have a forum "let's watch the tour" party and celebrate your birthday.  Must be going somewhere close to us too!

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[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]The closest to me next year is Saumur. A couple of years ago it went passed my house and have lots of cadeaux to prove it. Seen it in Alpe many years ago and was in Alpe this year but decided to leave the day it was due to arrive. Apart from Alpe, Paris is the best stage.[/quote]

Paris is the one stage I would never go to watch. Simply a parade round and round that same old circuit!

I've followed le Tour since 1966, but I was only a lad then and never actually saw it in the flesh! Reports were hard to come by too, relying on 2 or 3-day old copies of l'Equipe from the main WH Smiths in Manchester centre. I used to get le Coureur (Sporting Cyclist); lovely magazine with fantastic B&W photos of my hero Jacques Anquetil. It was another 15 years before I saw the race in real life (Nice 1981).

I digress!  The Tour rarely goes to the Alpe d'Huez on consecutive years. I have ridden that climb and Ventoux, and a couple of the Pyrenees climbs.

Disappointment here about the route too, but it looks as though the Saumur to Limoges stage will be within reach; I just need to see the detailed route when it's published next month(?).

The crowds on the big climbs are very rowdy these days, not what I like to think of as "proper" supporters. Most of them just seem to want to drink for 2 days and then get on TV.

 

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Sid Wrote : "Paris is the one stage I would never go to watch. Simply a parade round and round that same old circuit".

We were living in Paris at the time so we never 'purposely' went to see it. There is a kind of romance to the Paris stage.

I personally love cycling in Paris, especially on a Sunday so I can relate to it more.

We are lucky enough to have a flat (within the family) in Alpe du Huez so have seen it there. Even went skiing on the day it arrived. But it is very loud now and not for everyones taste.

We were in Alpe this year but choose to leave on the day of its arrival as we were heading towards the Med. We left very early before the roads closed (6 o clock ish) and the Dutch were still partying. There was that night a tempest and driving down the chicanes all the barriers had blown over a lot off people lost their tents. It was like the end of the world.

I was training myself to the circuit up to Alpe on a small mountain outside Lyon when we lived there. I regret not making the effort to go and do it when I had that level of fitness.

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[quote user="vette"]I take it you remember Tommy Simpson then Sid. 1966, in those days I used to ride every day from Peel Hall to Trafford Park engine sheds where I worked. Happy days indeed. Les.[/quote]

But of course!! In many of the photos of his last minutes you also see Harry Hall who was a mechanic on the Tour at that time. Harry had a bike shop in Gorton and then in the city centre; do you remember that? Bike shops all over the place then though. I lived in North Manchester then.

Happy days, yes indeed.

 

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Hi Sid.

Yes, I knew Harry Hall from his shop in Manchester city centre. I bought one of his hand made bikes. It was state of the art at the time, full Campag set up, metallic silver with 6" chromed front and rear forks. Beautiful bike.

I was a member of Seamons CC in Altrincham in those days.

Just been out today on my new Cannondale over 15.6 miles of the last Tour de France course. Lovely day for it here in the Mayenne. Harder work now though at my tender age of 64.

Les.
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I remember Seamons CC, I used to ride your (their) 25, a middlemarkers event from memory, so that tells you how fast I was. I was a member of Glossop Velo.

I'm a little older than you, and indeed it is harder work now. I've retired my Dave Lloyd "Special Lightweight" with Campag and have bought a Giant road bike with straight bars for the more comfy position. Jury is still out about whether it was the right choice.

 

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[quote user="vette"]At least we are still able to cycle Sid.

Les.[/quote]

And me... a bit down on last year but a bit over 4,000 miles YTD.  Just pleased that I can still do it (I think I'm a bit older than you Vette).  Bought another Wilier this year and love it.

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And you're lucky to be able to do it in a relatively safe environment.

Mr Betty is still recovering from getting taken out on a roundabout by a moron motorist 6 months ago. Mr Betty junior has been knocked off his bike so many times I am starting to wonder if he has a death wish. In the most recent incident, Mr Betty junior's GF left her bike via the handlebars when a woman ushered her daughter to step out in front of her whilst she was travelling at 30mph.

I am advocating that they all concentrate on track cycling.
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I'm actually thinking about an e-bike.  Yes horror I know but due to some issues, hills are a bit of a problem and I'm thinking that an e-bike would get me out and about with some reasonable exercise too.  I live at the top of a high steep hill so starting off is fine but getting back is a pain.

Anyone got experience of these?

I saw a couple (of a certain age) on a pair of super looking mountain bikes and I saw them tackle a hill with relative ease which I know absolutely knackers me

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