| Cyndi,
In 1988, my roommate and I observed two stages of the Tour de France:
the ascent of L'Alpe D'Huez (near Grenoble) and the finish in Paris.
I've been meaning to write up our experience for some time, but I
don't think I ever did. So let me take advantage of this situation
to spell out the story.
My roommate, a former class I/II racer, really wanted to see a mountain
stage. I was less enthusiastic since we planned to travel by train on
Eurailpass and it seemed to me that the mountains were generally far
from major train depots. However, it did appear that the famous L'Alpe
d'Huez climb might qualify, since it is driving distance from Grenoble,
a major rail hub.
We tried getting some advance information, without much success.
When we finally arrived in Grenoble the day before the stage, we assumed
we'd need to rent a car, but we checked out the bus terminal, immediately
adjacent to the train station, just in case. Low and behold, a sign
in French announced that a special bus would leave at 8:30 AM for
L'Alpe d'Huez! We spent the night in Grenoble, an interesting and
fun city, and showed up early the next morning at the bus station.
After some delay, the bus headed out of town in heavy traffic. It was
Bastille Day (July 14), and everyone seemed to be taking advantage of the
holiday to either see the race or get out of town. Winding roads lead
gradually upward. At one point, we got a police escort to pass several miles
of stopped cars. I'm now greatly relieved that we didn't rent a car.
Finally we arrive at the small town at the base of the climb. It is
already closed to traffic, but there are lots of people walking and riding
their bikes up. The entire route is lined with campers, tents, cars,
bikes, people, signs, flags, etc. Quite festive. The road has many
switchbacks and climbs more than 1000m to the summit.
Our bus finally comes to rest in a sea of busses at the top. L'Alpe
d'Huez is a ski resort, and there are lots of condos, chalets, etc.
Some people have clearly been staying here for several days.
We stop at a store and buy a picnic lunch, and then walk down the
mountain about a kilometer to find a nice spot in the grass.
People around us are listening to the race on the radio. Some Dutch
people start arguing in French with their French neighbors about the
role of women. We watch a hang glider take off from the slope of a
nearby mountain.
About 4 in the afternoon, helicopters appear. Clumps of cars, police
motorcycles, team busses, lumber past. Hundreds of these vehicles.
The advertising parade comes at one point. Some freebies, some
souvenirs for sale, some "floats" (a Michelin fire truck manned by
the mascot). Dozens of vehicles in this group.
Finally, the racers themselves come into view on the switchbacks below
us. This is the third major climb of the day for these men, and so
they are spread out. The roar of the crowd precedes the first riders.
The excitement starts building around us. People leave their picnic
spots and start crowding the edge of the road, despite the relentless
succession of police vehicles, sirens blaring.
Finally, they come right by us, not 2 feet away! They all look quite
spent, dazed. My roommate and I are caught up in the frenzy, snapping
pictures and yelling with the rest of the crowd.
It's more than an hour before the last riders pass us by.
At the end, excited but a little hoarse, we hike back up to the bus.
Even after the road opens up, it takes us three hours to get back
to Grenoble. Most of the time is spent creeping down that last climb.
We get back to town just in time for the fireworks celebrating
Bastille Day.
The Paris stage, by comparison, was disappointing. You have to stand
behind barricades, well away from the road. The Champs Elysee (sp?)
is a VERY wide road, so you don't get to see the riders at very
close range. The section near the finish line is obstructed by tall
bleachers (reserved seating). On the other hand, they do make several
circuits, and take a slow "parade" by teams around the course at the
conclusion of the stage. You can't get close enough to see the
awards ceremony, however.
My advice is, find a mountain stage if you can! But by all means do it;
the experience is quite extraordinary.
Regards,
David Buffo
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