tour de france

[cutmorej]

hi to all we are off to the french alps july 16th for 9 days,just realised the tour de france is starting on the 4th and finishing 26th taken in some of our routes that i have planned,annecy,bourg st maurice,martigny,has any body been over when this race has been in progress if so what implications to roads and routes im not wanting to watch the race would like to keep well out of the way any advice greatly appreciated

 

[Hustler]

If you don't already know it this will give you the tour map -
http://www.letour.fr/indexus.html
Basically the roads will be closed on the day the tour passes through although you might manage early in the morning or late in the day but best to avoid for the day in question really.
Up in the mountains they'll definitely be closed for the day and people start camping on the popular mountain bits a day or two before the tour arrives.
But it's worth taking a day out of your trip if you can and watch a stage in a little town as it's an excellent atmosphere.

 

[(RIP) Shenzi]

If you are not interested in watching then you should avoid them like the plague. Apart from the chaos caused by the closing of the roads the support vehicles seem to be everywhere and drive like idiots. I try not to go within 100klms of them otherwise I begin dreaming of gimpys!

 

[Wapping]

Up in the mountains they'll definitely be closed for the day and people start camping on the popular mountain bits a day or two before the tour arrives.
But it's worth taking a day out of your trip if you can and watch a stage in a little town as it's an excellent atmosphere.

If you are not interested in watching then you should avoid them like the plague. I try not to go within 100klms of them otherwise I begin dreaming of gimpys!

Exactly right.

It's a great spectacle to see once at a time and place of your choosing. But a buggeration if you want to avoid it and go down a route that collides with the bicycles.

Rather like the IoM TT they close the roads well before the race. That can sometimes mean the evening before and certainly for much of the day of the race section itself. The reasons are obvious.