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Sunday, July 26, 2015

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


How an Average Joe Can Ride the Tour De France

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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