2018 Tour de France route

Shades wrote:

Not sure if you have had any advice ref spectating but you need to plan it like a military op.  I've done it twice and there were some lessons learn't from the first time.  The Tour website has the times for the Caravan and the race.  The French are absolute masters at it; on the signature climbs the best spots are bagged by the motorhome convoy (that follows the race around) 3 days in advance!  The Belgiums sometime take over an entire section and turn it into a mini-town.  When they say 'road closed', NOTHING, including bicycles, moves on it and the Gendarmes don't take any prisoners (a pretty firm 'non').  Got caught out by this at my inaugral session as we wanted to watch the Caravan and then cycle up the climb nearby to watch. Climbs are best as the race is slower, but also the most popular.  The locals arrive early and there are masses of them; tables, chairs, parasols, TVs etc - they stake their claim!  If you want to bag a spot with a car, then arrive early (well before road closure) and plan to spend a LOT of time (ie hours - caravan goes through at least an hour before the race) sitting around, so take food, beer, water etc.  There's a bit of time just after the road closes to gently cycle up/down a climb whilst they set up the boarding, arches etc.  You can arrive nearer the race time from a side road and walk/cycle in, although plenty of other people will have the same idea so, again, plan wisely.  Caravan is worth it for the spectacle; you can trade your free 'tat' with others to get what you want (hats).  Stand near kids as they're more enthusiastic and more stuff is thrown at them.  Anything that 'goes loose', incl discarded Bidons, it's 'take no prisoners' if you want it!  When it's all over the road is bedlam, so plan your escape as well.  Third biggest spectator numbers behind the Football World Cup and the Olympics, so has to be seen.

Hi Shades,

Thank you for your excellent reply. 

I did the  La Planche des Belles Filles stage in 2014 did a recce the day before to find the parking area, then cycled up there in shite weather only to find I had forggotten my tracky bottoms so nearly froze in the rain I was up there for 8 hours!!! in the end  myself and a couple of French cyclists resorted to running up and down the climb to keep warm!

I knew that area really well so did not really have to trouble myself with which roads were being used. but even so still got yelled at by a Cop who had deserted his post when I went up to the ski station, but he made a huge point of the fact the road is CLOSED when I came down! You should have been there to stop me on the way up then shouldnt you mate!

My problem this time is I do not know the road numbers being used, but a suggestion by a previous poster has solved that. I agree with everything you say about spectating on the Tour and thank you for taking the time to post. I could not belive the size of the motorhome villages!

A funny aside: on my way back down the stage after racing I was pleased to see spectators clapping my descending!! Only to look to my left to see Thomas Voekler (one of my heros!) heading back to his team bus along side me, I was so star struck so couldnt even say bonjour Allez, chapeau or anything else! but he realised my dilema smiled nodded then put the power down and the last I saw was him dissapearing down the hill! They do say never meet your heros, but for me it was a few seconds I shall never forget.

To anyone else contemlating going for the first time follow Shades excellent advice and do it NOTHING can prepare you for what you will experience.

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

Click on each stage and it gives you a lot more detail https://www.cyclingstage.com/tour-de-france-2018-route/route-tdf-2018/ the second map shows you the actual route on a zoomable map

Thank you that is really helpful appreciate you taking the time. 

Scoob_84 wrote:

I'm having the same difficulty. Some stages on their website show a detailed route on a map, whilst other stages only have the vertical profile. The ball ache method i adopted was to use the strava route mapper, and the elevation infor available online (with mountain passes and village names) , i managed to work out the route for the stage i'll be visiting. 

Thank you I had not considered Strava!