Le Tour de France - Cahors to Angouleme

[Jimbo]

Just discovered that the 2007 Tour de France goes almost past our front door. How exciting is that. When we were B+B'ing in the UK, I remember that the Open Golf at Sandwich used to fill any available accommodation for miles around. Is the Tour likely to generate the same response here?

Back in the UK, I watched the Tour in the year that it did the 'Channel Tunnel' diversion in a little seaside town called Hythe. Stood for a hour in the crowd and, suddenly, with a zizz and a hiss, the whole lot raced past in about 2 seconds. It's truly astonishing how fast these guys go.

Jim (already trying on my lycra)

PS: Can anybody who knows this patch suggest a good high vantage point (hilly?) along the route for photography?

[Hells Bells]

It's going through our village too. (Val d'Isere to Briancon).

[la vache!]

J When we were B+B'ing in the UK, I remember that the Open Golf at Sandwich used to fill any available accommodation for miles around. Is the Tour likely to generate the same response here?

It has been an hour or so from us twice in the last 5 years - we went to see it once and from what I could make out, most of the people watching had their camper vans with them - I think a lot of people follow the whole tour and it is the most practical way to travel and have guaranteed accommodation at the same time!

[levelsteps]

For the route, dates and map of the 2007 tour, go to
http://www.steephill.tv/2007/tour-de-france/

[vrooje]

It's coming through our town too!

Interestingly enough, that week has not booked yet.

Hm... maybe we will book it ourselves...

[Stu]

In 2001 it came through our local village (Mouliherne). They still use that pic on the back cover of the yearly Bulletin Municipal!

[Hells Bells]

As we're right in the middle of most of the high mountain passes, the Tour passes through or very close by with alarming regularity. It is not as popular with the locals as you might think. One girl was unable to get to her severely injured son last summer after a serious accident on the glacier at Les Deux-Alpes, as the race was following the same route. It also means the roads are used for lots of amateur races over the summer too.