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Tour de France

NoSpin

100+ Posts
Is anyone else watching the Tour?

My wife and I watch it every year. We're not bicyclists and I don't even fully understand the scoring, but we just love the scenery. We DVR it so we can skip the commercials, but we watch all 4 to 5 hours of every stage.

Since we we haven't been able to travel yet this year, we really live vicariously through the scenery they show on the Tour. Last spring we spent 3 weeks in France (Dordogne and Loire Valley) culminating with one week in Normandy for the 75th anniversary of D-Day. I feel so badly for all those re-enactors who spend the week recreating the invasion. It must have been terribly disappointing for them this year.
 
We also enjoy watching the tour. After watching for several years we can follow the cyclists and individual jerseys. But we love the scenery and aerial shots. I like how this highlights areas a lot of tourists have not not considered visiting.
We had two weeks booked in the Correze this year and had to cancel. I am looking forward to seeing Puy Mary tonight. We stayed in the Cantal in 2016 and walked up Puy Mary.
 
We watch regardless as we like to see areas we have not visited. We often add areas to our wish list. That is getting longer but sadly there will not be a trip to France in the foreseeable future.
 
We watch it religiously, taping so we can skip commercials, have been doing it for years, the other major races too. I was at the finish in Paris in 2014, it was amazing. I was with a friend on a “girl trip“, she wanted to see the finish too and we ended up at the Norwegian corner, right by the Louvre where they’d come out of the tunnel and turn the corner. It was making. After 3 or 4 laps the people at the barricades in front of us decided to leave so we ended up with front row seats! Watching makes me feel better about not traveling myself, oh, but to be there without the crowds!!!!
 
My husband and I watch every year also - who knew that after he moved in with me years ago that I would spend every July watching a bike race daily for 3 weeks (though not July this year). The scenery and commentary on the locations has always been a highlight along with the race itself. Disappointed that they don't have Jens Voigt commentating this year.
 
Another great stage with wonderful scenery and terrific riding . The Auvergne is a beautiful region and not one you see mentioned very often on travel forums. We have been lucky to stay for a week in each of the four departments, Allier, Haute Loire, Cantal and the Puy de Dome, and really enjoyed our stays. Seeing that lovely scenery really makes me want to return.
 
Not only do I watch every year, I do part of the watching while on the exercise bike. Love the scenery every year, but this year there was even a surprise ending! Glad to hear others watch. No one i know watches.
 
Not only do I watch every year, I do part of the watching while on the exercise bike. Love the scenery every year, but this year there was even a surprise ending! Glad to hear others watch. No one i know watches.

Tbk, if you like watching on your exercise bike, you will love actually riding the Tour route. If you go to VirZoom.com and scroll down to VZFit Explorer you can see a sample. This software uses virtual reality to take you anywhere Google Street has photographed, including stages of the Tour.

I've been using an older system that runs on PlayStation VR and can only play the arcade games (which are a lot of fun). The new Oculus 2 is coming out shortly and I will be buying it so I can do the Explorer.

The other fun thing is if you have a friend anywhere in the world with the same software and an Oculus headset you can literally ride together or race each other.
 
Tbk, if you like watching on your exercise bike, you will love actually riding the Tour route. If you go to VirZoom.com and scroll down to VZFit Explorer you can see a sample. This software uses virtual reality to take you anywhere Google Street has photographed, including stages of the Tour.

I've been using an older system that runs on PlayStation VR and can only play the arcade games (which are a lot of fun). The new Oculus 2 is coming out shortly and I will be buying it so I can do the Explorer.

The other fun thing is if you have a friend anywhere in the world with the same software and an Oculus headset you can literally ride together or race each other.
Oh, that looks tempting (the VirZoom).
 
Today was Stage 2.

If you have a chance to view Stage 1, there were some major crashes. One idiot woman stuck a sign out right in front of a lead rider that resulted in many riders crashing. I swear there should be criminal penalties for people who interfere with the riders.
 
Today was Stage 2.

If you have a chance to view Stage 1, there were some major crashes. One idiot woman stuck a sign out right in front of a lead rider that resulted in many riders crashing. I swear there should be criminal penalties for people who interfere with the riders.

Finally it seems the authorities agree. The woman managed to slip away, but a warrant for her arrest has been issued and given a clear photo, one would hope she will be caught. It appears she will be liable for the inability of affected riders to work, and I believe 4 have abandoned as a result of that crash.
 
We are also avid Tour watchers and have gone to a few stage towns in the Alps and Provence for husband to conquer the famous mountains (not the whole stage!) We'd been planning to go to the Pyrenees to do Tourmalet in 2020 and while that cancelled out due to COVID, we are now thinking of trying it this September. (It was great to see 5 stages in the Pyrenees this year!) Argeles-Gazost seems best for Tourmalet, but the town of Bagnères-de-Luchon also beckons. We also like history museums, hiking, markets, and wine-tasting and prefer smaller towns but large enough for some good restaurant choices. Just throwing it out there for any ideas of a good base. We were intending on dipping into Spain but unsure due to COVID. Any suggestions for a good base?
 
Julie, we spent two weeks in Luz St Sauveur in 2016. We are not cyclists but did do some walks. Not really serious hikers either but did enjoy what we did. This is my report on our trip. Our stay there was the fifth and sixth weeks , so scroll through to the Pyrenees section.


Bon voyage.
 
Thank you for responding - in fact, I found and read your great trip report earlier today! Yes, Luz was another option for us to consider, and worth noting that roads in between may be shut down at times. I might be back to you with more detailed questions, so thank you! I find this planning and researching to be almost as fun as the travel itself!
 

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