Originally Posted by Rainy Day
Oh, Katrine, I am so jealous. It is the only time of the year that I can tolerate the TV in the bedroom, we doze and watch the tour.
One day, we would love to travel with the caravan, MOTH is a Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist, and I used to cook for a living. . . . .surely some team would love to have us!
It's a great event. Took me a couple of years to understand all the tacticals that go on though.
You'll have seen all the thousands of people and caravans who follow the Tour all the way - we know French people who always have their annual hols to follow it around, and there are many many other mainland European nationalities who do the same.
Try and hire a caravan in France in July!! No way, they are booked year on year.
The logistics of the operation overall are incredible. The whole caboodle moves overnight to each different start stage and finish. Cities and big towns vie for the honour of hosting either a departure or arrival.
Roads are closed totally for hours and hours.
Even for people not interested in the cycling, watching the TV coverage is a great way to see different areas of France in detail.
On French TV we have a daily one hour programme before the live coverage - featuring either a particular year from way back, or a famous rider, or a particular team through the years - and doesn't matter what else is happening in the world, "Le Tour" is the main news item every bulletin.