How an Average Joe Can Ride the Tour De France ... Hey France ! u's don't know how frick~in Lucky u r !!! ... fuck me, if i only had $$$ ..shit ! :( ... but i fucking Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee the tour :) r , u lucky fucks hehe if u have a potty mouth ...r u still allowed 2 ride ? Lol
You don’t have to be a cycling rock star to ride with the pros…or at least very close to them. (Photo: Jordi Lippe)
More
than 12 million people turn out to watch the Tour de France, the
month-long cycling event, each year. This year I was one of them. Over
the past 11 years my cycling fanatic fiancée, Ross, has gotten up early
every morning in July to watch 198 men battle it out on one of the
toughest courses in the world in an epic battle to claim that yellow
jersey.
So, with his 30th
birthday approaching I began to research ways he could get close enough
to see the race in person and also how he could participate in it.
As
someone who doesn’t even own a bike I didn’t know where to begin. So I
started a blind search of “how to ride the Tour de France when you’re
not a pro.” While I found blog posts of how people have camped out and
tried to finagle their way from town to town with the pros, I quickly
learned that a tour group was the safest way to go. Unless you’re a
local, figuring out road closures, rules and accommodations can be
tricky.
Ouste. A tiny little town along the route in the Pyrenees. (Photo: Jordi Lippe)
Within
days of the 2015 Tour route being announced, the best hotels were
snatched up and even if you snag one, you’re still left figuring out
parking, camping conditions, etc. Having a tour group not only meant I
could let someone else do the driving through those endless roundabouts,
but also provide meals, access to the stage viewing and overnights. It
would be like a Tour de France butler.
After months of research I settled on the group Sporting Tours UK.
They offered a trip that catered to both riders and non riders which
allowed Ross to actually ride a portion of the Tour route hours before
the pros while I watched from the sidelines. I chose the 3-day Pyrenean
trip because over my decade’s worth of casual Tour television watching, I
knew the best stages to see were the mountains. That is where the
riders make most of their tactical moves.
Col
du Port has been featured on the Tour 14 times. Ross posed his bike
after proudly completing the 10.6 mile climb. (Photo: Jordi Lippe)
I
first revealed the news to Ross only four days before we left. I’m
pretty sure he remained in shock for several days. It wasn’t until he
spent an hour-and-a-half climbing mountains like the Col du Tourmalet
and La Pierre-Saint-Martin did it sink in he was in the same spot
legends had been years before him and who were about to come through
just hours after him.
It
took me two hours to hike to this spot along Col La
Pierre-Saint-Martin. The riders still had 14km to go. These were the
sprinters hanging on as I cheered them along. (Photo: Jordi Lippe)
Each
day when we would meet back up at the hotel he would recount his
incredible adventures of biking through small French towns, running into
the famous Tour de France devil aka 63-year-old Didi Senft and
maneuvering through a herd of cows all while taking in the incredible
views from 7,000 feet. At one point he even went back down the mountain
halfway after reaching the top just to ride back up again, relishing the
unique opportunity. Some may call it crazy, but as I learned from the
other cycling fanatics on my trip, it made perfect sense.
While
I chose to skip the five hours in the saddle, I too had an athletic
experience of my own. Prior to leaving for our trip, I imagined myself
sleeping in and strolling through adorable French towns before being
dropped off right before the riders came through. I did get to see
charming spots, but my stroll became a full on hike. Each day I would
walk over two hours uphill to get a good spot (otherwise known as the
steepest part of the climb) to catch approximately one minute of action
before walking back the bus. Like Ross, my legs were sore at the end of
the day, I had blisters on my feet and I’m pretty sure my pedometer
exploded. Luckily baguettes and cheese are readily available before the
climb to provide sustenance.
Whether
you are a cycling fan or a full-on cyclist, seeing the Tour de France
in person provides a whole new appreciation for just how massive and
incredibly challenging this race is. In my research I also found several
other tour groups that offered variety of packages to suit a range of
interests. Trek Travel can get you a prime spot at the finish line and Thompson Bike Tours get arrange meet-and-greets with the pros.
And
if you’re like me and just going along for the ride, note that there is
plenty of entertainment in the forms of costumes, appropriate
early-morning drinking and a caravan of cars handing out free stuff an
hour before the professionals come through. Vive le Tour!
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