Following the Tour de France

We're following the tour de France this year, hoping to see every day's racing from start to finish. As usual not made any specific plans apart from we have booked the Euro tunnel already and the first campsite. It is in Ilkley which is handy for days one and two BUT it is £145 for 2 nights - not even a proper campsite it is the car park of the local tennis club. Other 'sites' in Yorkshire near the route are charging anything up to £200. At least in France we'll be able to use the free aires etc or else we couldn't afford it. Watch out for rip off prices if you're following the tour.

 

All my tour stalking is free....


Rip off Britain...

bon courage getting to nice stops before the Germans..

 

Apparently there's nowhere on any of the 3 stages in Britain where you can just stop and watch it go past - loads of places you can do that in France. Why is it all so much easier and cheaper in France?

 

Epping New Road. You can stop nearby and watch it from there on Stage 3. In fact I've found the perfect pitch for the van... Let me know if you need any info about this part of the world. You'd be welcome to park your van behind our house (council garage access street so officially not on the highway), if you don't mind being on a hill.

Debden House is the nearest campsite to the route round here. Would be a fifteen minute walk to the closest point (Wake Arms Roundabout).

 

Because its a French event

 

We went to the tour last year, dream come true for me. And yep you just go where you want and watch, no problem at all. We were hoping to use the camper to go up and watch the start this year and stop somewhere random, but your saying we're not allowed to do that? Not surprised at the camping prices really, absolutely shocking. This country is sh1t

 

Mi mum lives in Otley...
Looks like i'll be popping up

 

Because the French wouldn't stand for it and block the Route I'd guess.

 

Ill be at the finish line in Paris, but I have to confess, it won't be in the camper...

 

In-laws live not far from Keighley, a road or so just off the Tour route, so we're crashing at theirs for the night, short walk and we're there.

 

Some mountain stages [on the day] are sectioned off from cars/motorhomes ,can you image a old camper going up 10 minutes before the riders are due...

The cavelcade [its a word] has no speed limits be interesting what they do in England....

I love the tour ,England is certainly cashing in on it ,maybe one day France will follow ,that day I will stop going...

 

I'm not sure where this "you can't stop and watch it" idea is coming from. I'm in contact with Essex county council and there are no such restrictions in place. I've asked our local councillor a fair few specific questions and the general answer is that they are keeping to whatever the French do. In fact I've been specifically allowed to paint WIGGO on the road! Epping town centre is going to be home to an intermediate sprint and so the place will be buzzing, but along the route here there's no real "cashing in" going on.

 

Wiggo … is he riding this year?

 

I can't see the fascination in watching a bunch of blokes in lycra riding their pushbikes.

 

He's planning to.

 

Oh.

 

I just had a read on line, at the moment it seems Wiggo plans to support Froome's attempt to defend his title, but I just wonder if Wiggo will get a place on the Sky TDF team.

 

On stage 2 after it leaves Holmfirth its 20 - miles of country lanes before it gets to Grenoside. farmers fields either side most of the way, so I would say there's no way they could stop you parking up a day beforehand and watching from the roadside.

 

Of course, as long as you are not on the road. I think in Surrey, for the olympics road race, it was a case of if you were on the road to any extent you'd be towed away.