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Cycling to TDF

  • 23-06-2015 11:11am
    #1
    eoin88
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 117 ✭✭


    Hi all,

    I'm planning on loading up the panniers and taking off on my own for two weeks at the end of July. I had been thinking about the Wild Atlantic Way, but today I had the crazy idea of getting a ferry to France and heading down to corner 10 of the Alpe d'Huez for the penultimate stage of le Tour on 25th of July. Has anyone here ever taken a similar route? I've never cycled in France before so not sure what to expect. Google maps tells me the most direct route is roughly 1000 km, so I would expect to do it over 10 days at a gentle enough pace.
    Any advice much appreciated!

    Cheers,

    Eoin


Comments

  • #2
    mcgratheoin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,461 ✭✭✭mcgratheoin


    eoin88 wrote: »
    Google maps tells me the most direct route is roughly 1000 km, so I would expect to do it over 10 days at a gentle enough pace.
    Any advice much appreciated!


    While 100km is a nice spin on a weekend from home, most tourers seem to set their daily target a little lower than that - remember that you may not be able (or want) to cycle the exact direct route - you might want to detour to a village/campsite/more scenic route etc.. and you'll have a loaded bike compared to what you'd have usually at home. Are you going to camp or credit card tour (B&Bs/hotels etc..)? If camping, then you'll need to build in time and energy to set up camp every night, cook food, find facilities etc..

    Would you think about maybe cycling part of the way and getting a train part of the way? Which port are you thinking of? If Roscoff you could cycle to Tours and get the train to Lyon which would cut 450km off your journey and allow you to enjoy the trip as much as the destination. If Cherbourg, you could cycle towards Massy (just outside Paris) and get the train to Lyon. Alpe d'huez is about 160k from Lyon so you could do that probably in 2 days given you wouldn't be as tired as if you cycled the whole way


    FYI, a train ticket from Tours to Lyon is about €50, takes 5hrs direct, and bike transport is free.


  • #3
    eoin88
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 117 ✭✭eoin88


    I haven't had a chance to look at proper maps yet, but my plan at the moment would be to aim for 100 km a day from Cherbourg to Lyon (which seems pretty flat), then take a rest day at Lyon before spending the following night at Grenoble and then hitting Alpe d'Huez on the final day. I'll most likely then take a train back to Cherbourg, with an overnight stop somewhere along the way. I will be taking a light tent with me, but don't expect to be using it every night. If there's a hostel along the route I'll stay there instead. I don't plan on doing any cooking myself either, I'll be trying to take in as much of the local cuisine as I can!


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