Tour de France - Half days?

C3PO

I'm planning to take a couple of half days to watch the Tour .... which days would the experts recommend? Preferably stages with plenty of climbing!

wanderer 22

Planning the same myself - taking 1/4 days myself though (when I leave at 2) :-P
Stage 3 , Monday, could be a good one,as Dan may be in with a shot.

tommy_tucker

Stage 4, cobbles, should be epic, hope it rains like last year, great stage to watch, peloton was in bits.

bazermc

Stage 19 for me

Should be a cracker, plus I am doing the etape which is stage 19 so cant wait to see the pro's do with such ease what I will have broken my ***** doing the previous week.

pelevin

The cobbled stage of last year's Tour was maybe the best day's racing I saw all year if that's anything to go by - stage 4 the equivalent as Tommy says above. A couple of the big mountains days, whichever & whenever, are obvious other choices particularly when the overall is really being decided - rather for me anyway than the likes of Mur de Huy, stage 3, where Dan could have a real shout but it maybe not apart from the finish that dramatic. That's total guesswork though & might be great & the one you'd hate to miss if Dan does get the win.

MPFG

Its hard to know best stages as there could be what looks like on paper a boring stage but it could turn out to be great if someone attacks or a team go all out

At first galnce the following look good
Stages 3,4,8,10,12.17,19 &20

(only stage 8 & 20 are on at the weekend)
Stage 3 & 8 should be good for Dan Martin but also exciting
4 = cobbles
10 is the first MTF nad looks long & steep
12 looks hard
17/19 & 20 are the monster climbs (and descents) and will be decisive

Decuc500

I've noticed a lack of good mountain finishes at weekends which is disappointing. I'd rather see a mountain stage than the TTT on the first Sunday.

ionadnapokot

Stage 3, July 6: Antwerpen - Huy: 159.5km
Chance for Dan Martin
Stage 4, July 7: Seraing-Cambrai, 223.5km
Cobbles
Stage 10, July 14: Tarbes-La Pierre-Saint-Martin, 167km
This is not the toughest mountain stage but it is the first and it comes straight after a rest day. The Pyrenean climb to La Pierre-Saint-Martin is a long and difficult grind that should create splits and give the first indication of who among the race favourites has the strongest climbing legs.
One of the top four contenders will win in the Pyrenees. Froome, Contador, Quintana and Nibali will all want to show what kind of legs they've got.
Stage 12, July 16: Lannemezan - Plateau de Beille, 195km
This is probably the hardest of the three Pyrenean stages, and coming third, everyone will be feeling the last couple of days. This will be a big showdown between the yellow jersey contenders. If anybody has lost a bit of time in the first week, possibly at the team time trial, they will really get stuck in on this stage to try and win back as much as they can.
Stage 17, July 22: Digne-les-Bains-Pra Loup, 161km
This is one of two stages where a descent could prove decisive, and with Vincenzo Nibali and Alberto Contador superior descenders to Chris Froome or Nairo Quintana, those two stages could prove critical. This one has a fast, technical descent off the first category Col d’Allos before a sharp second category ride to the line. It’s a similar stage to the one at the Criterium du Dauphine where a daring attack from Nibali saw him put time into the likes of Froome. The problem is the final climb is so short that there is little chance to make up time lost on the descent. If the weather is bad on top of that, a tentative descent of the Col d’Allos could be costly.
Stage 20, July 25: Modane Valfrejus-Alpe d’Huez, 110.5km
This isn’t as tough a mountain stage as the previous day’s with more climbs to crest but it will be the last chance saloon. As it’s short, the pace should be high and there is no flat section with the road either going up or down. As it’s the last chance to gain time before riding into Paris, the challengers to the overall leader will be forced to give it everything. And the likes of Nibali, Froome and Contador certainly aren’t going to settle for consolidating a podium position. Those not in yellow will attack and that could mean fireworks.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/ng-interactive/2015/jul/01/tour-de-france-2015-stage-by-stage
http://www.thenational.ae/sport/other/the-reigning-champion-the-mountain-king-and-the-local-hope-five-to-watch-at-tour-de-france
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/cycling/33299630