Polo Tour De France Road Ride - Avignon-Bourg d'Oisans 2013/07/13-20

The itinerary will be something like:

Eurostar Saturday morning to Avignon DIRECT, arrives early afternoon.

Ride 50k to Malaucene (foot of Ventoux), camp in a camp-site (there's one at Mont Serein, 3/4 way up Ventoux,) or rough.

Sunday stand by side of road with 1/2 million spectators and watch stage go by.

Monday head north, 100k of hills to Serres, camp.

Tuesday another 100k, this time with 2 cols over 1200m to Bourg d'Oisans.

Wednesday, ride Alpe d'Huez, maybe camp up high.

Thursday watch stage (see Sunday)

Friday ride 140 downhill to Valence, and either camp near Valence or take train to Avignon and camp near Avignon.

Saturday, have a huge lunch in one of Avignon's excellent restaurant and take direct train at 1600odd back to London.

Gabes did a g map, which I have fiddled with to avoid roads I know to be unpleasant to cycle up. So we may end up doing something like this:

http://goo.gl/maps/ybj4B

I haven't looked up what the vertical gain is, but there's no more than 2 or 3 sections with double arrows on the Michelin, and none with 3. (2 means +10%, 3 means you're walking), not including Ventoux and A d'H, which are as hard as anything I have ridden.

It's all flexible, especially Ventoux, as it's a bit early to say whether we'll actually go over this hill. I have ridden up it a few times, and it's pretty hard. Very hard, I would say. And if the weather's bad (which it can be, even in July - on the Etape, dozens of competitors were treated for hypothermia), I have no intention of going anywhere near the top.

I have ridden up there, when I was much younger & stronger, into the teeth of the Mistral (notorious wind which sometimes blows from North to South down the Rhone valley), and it pretty unpleasant, temperature at the foot of the climb was +30 at the bottom, but nearer 0 at the top, with the wind chill - and the sun was out that day - not a cloud in the sky.

In that case, I would plan to watch from the lower slopes, and then go around to the north, via Malaucene, probably up the Toulourenc valley.

I have no intention of being the ride leader, but I'd like to it to be sociable & friendly ride, without too much stress, so in my opinion, it'd be good to sort some things out before we go.

I'd like everyone that's planning on coming with to meet at some point in the next couple of months, so that we can agree general protocol for the ride. I would also like to see us all go for a weekend camping ride together sometime in May, possibly, just so that we can try our kit, bikes, and so that I can explain about show-boating, half-wheeling, wheel-sucking, tennis socks etc.

I would also say that I wouldn't stress too much about fitness, but I would try and make sure that you do some long day rides, just so you know you can sit on a bike for long periods without becoming totally uncomfortable. As long as you get in, say, 10 long rides between the end of March and the beginning of July, you should be alright.

And don't worry about riding up hills. There's nothing in England to replicate the Alps, really, and certainly nothing in the South.

I'm considering this if I'm not in Oz, Emilié and a few of the other Southie roadies said they might also be up for it...
Is there a flat route? ;P
#4staraccomodation #willalsoneedasoigneur

TdF sounds like a good plan.
Is there a limit on how many bikes on the eurostar? I imagine half of the southeast & london are thinking similar things.

I thought with Eurostar, if you take the bike unpacked you can only pick it up later, or the next day?

Absolutely up for that.

le tour

Sounds like such an awesome thing to do. Two things:

• Can I ride a scooter? I've never ridden more than 60 miles in one day, this would definitely kill me.
  
• Can someone rent me a tourer?
  

TdF sounds like a good plan.
Is there a limit on how many bikes on the eurostar? I imagine half of the southeast & london are thinking similar things.

Yes, but I think they can take a decent number of bikes per train. IIRC there's a massive special carriage which takes them. You need to book a spot for it anyway.

You can book it on a mere hour before (assuming it's not full) they do charge about £40 ( or is it €40?) each trip so direct return would be £80 for the bike alone. Or if you can pack it up small enough you can bring it on as luggage for free...

I'd love to do this... Was about to say I couldn't get time off work... Hmmm...

I thought with Eurostar, if you take the bike unpacked you can only pick it up later, or the next day?

No I brought my bike on it. You can bring it on a couple of hours beforehand and then just take it off or collect on arrival, depending on the station. But there are only a max of four bikes per train, seriously. There's no massive carriage with just bikes. You need to book ahead. Way ahead.

I thought I had seen someone running a service for bikes using a minibus.

I plan on booking my train ticket as soon as the tickets become available. The Avignon service normally goes on sale months before other Eurostar tickets. The bag option is cool, as you can normally leave the bag with a hotel.

The TER (regional train) from Valence to Avignon is frequent and is listed as having facilities to carry bikes, so you could leave the bag in Avignon, and then get the TER with a built bike.

Riding from Bourg d'Oisans to Avignon in a day isn't something I would contemplate, even if it is all downhill.

I really, really don't want want to bag my bike, as I am fed up with the whole shenanigans, having done it a few times now.

No I brought my bike on it. You can bring it on a couple of hours beforehand and then just take it off or collect on arrival, depending on the station. But there are only a max of four bikes per train, seriously. There's no massive carriage with just bikes. You need to book ahead. Way ahead.

My memory might have failed me, then.

They also run a baggage service, which gets the bike there within 24 hours of your arrival, for £25.

I don't know if any of you guys are interested, but the last week of the Tour is easily accessible by direct train from London, which means you can put your bike fully built, no bag bullshit.

The itinerary would be something like:

Eurostar Saturday morning to Avignon DIRECT, arrives early afternoon.

Ride 50k to Malaucene (foot of Ventoux), camp in a camp-site (there's one at Mont Serein, 3/4 way up Ventoux,) or rough.

Sunday stand by side of road with 1/2 million spectators and watch stage go by.

Monday head north, 100k of hills to Serres, camp.

Tuesday another 100k, this time with 2 cols over 1200m to Bourg d'Oisans.

Wednesday, ride Alpe d'Huez, maybe camp up high.

Thursday watch stage (see Sunday)

Friday ride 140 downhill to Valence, and either camp near Valence or take train to Avignon and camp near Avignon.

Saturday, have a huge lunch in one of Avignon's excellent restaurant and take direct train at 1400 back to London.

Keen on this, what's the deal with camping? Carry a lightweight tent and sleeping bag or just a bivvy?

Realistically how fit do you think you'd have to be? Monday to Thursday looks like some pretty serious riding.

Keen on this, what's the deal with camping? Carry a lightweight tent and sleeping bag or just a bivvy?

Realistically how fit do you think you'd have to be? Monday to Thursday looks like some pretty serious riding.

I'm thinking of a tent, especially as it's the Alps, and you don't want to be shivering in sleet in air temps just above freezing (which is perfectly possible even in summer in the Alps).

The 2nd day to Bourg d'Oisans is probably the hardest, 2 +1000m cols. You'd have to have done some miles, for sure, but you wouldn't need to be super-fit. If you break it down, it's only 50k in the morning, and 50k in the afternoon. As long as you get on the road before 8am, it shouldn't be problem.

However, if you're pulling camping gear, you want 30 X 28 or similar, otherwise you won't make it.

Depends more on how fit everyone else is... It's possible to walk 60 miles in a day, just a question of if you'll be holding up everyone else as you walk up the hilly bits...

If it's with bill And slain, I can't see how you could fail to keep up with them ;)

It's possible to walk 60 miles in a day

if you don't mind walking for 20 hours

I was assuming a marching pace of at least 4 mph, so 15 hours. But still very doable for almost anyone willing to get up early!

But the point is that on a bike 60miles a day is not so far.

I'm overweight, mid thirties, smoker don't do any road miles to speak of (other than commuting) and still managed to ride my polo bike (fixed 70gi) 60 miles from mine to Cambridge and ride (and walk... Mostly walk because of over packing!) 60 miles to Brighton. Both in around 5-6 hours.

You don't do 4000ft+ in ~50km to get to cambridge though

True, not saying do it fixed on a polo bike either...

Wait, no chairlifts? I thought these were the Alps!

I'd bivvy. Or book rooms. I'm not dragging a tent up a mountain. Bill's right though, it can get pretty cold.

TBH, even if you're not pulling camping gear, you will need a seriously low bottom gear. The last time I rode A d'H I was as fit as I have ever been, and was glad to be riding with no weight, and a bottom gear of 39 X 32.

You're not selling it Bill.

Or are you just sorting the men from the boys?

Sunday stand by side of road with 1/2 million spectators and watch stage go by.
Bastille Day. As if taking the 100th TdF up Ventoux wasn't epic enough.

Like that idea bill, might be up for it though I'm deffo going to the giro this year so might have to compromise.

In other news I'm meeting some mates at Clapham junction Sunday at 10 to do the Surrey hills ride if anyones interested