Stealing signs and seeing all the Tour de France traffic coming down the mountain
2024 – Stage 17
Our Spot
It was a very peaceful evening. It felt wonderful to fall asleep after having an amazing day watching the race for the first time. It was also great sleeping weather – much cooler. We parked only 48.5km from the start, but positioned ourselves on an incline. On one side of us was a tall rock wall and on the other was a large stream. We tried to find a way down to the stream, but the terrain was loose rock so we decided not to risk it.
I was really starting to get annoyed that the majority of all my clothes had been stolen. Thankfully, I had brought an extra pair of shorts for the airplane, that was still in Sam’s backpack. I had worn those the previous day. I am hoping that in a few days we can find a place to go look for clothes.
Caravan
Because we were towards the beginning of the stage, the caravan came through much earlier than the day before. We used an extra sheet today to catch the goodies and it worked amazingly! Thankfully, we got a jersey and a shirt I could wear!
New Friends
We met a French family that had just moved to the area from where we had just been near Avignon. They had two little kids who reminded us of our 6-year-old at home. At first, they were shy, but they soon warmed up to Sam and wanted to get on his shoulders.
We also met an American couple from California who were also renting a campervan for the first time. We warned them about leaving their valuables (and MacBook) in the campervan.
Bidons
I love seeing the logistics of how the race works. One of the teams dropped off someone to hand out the bidons (water bottles) and ice socks to the riders. He didn’t care to interact with us, but it was fun that he used our shade to put everything together.
The Race
The race went through, thankfully not as fast as the previous day. The peloton was really spread out today, so it lasted longer. Sam and I stood on opposite sides, to increase our chances of getting a bidon thrown to us (it didn’t happen). It felt like I could touch the riders. They were so close to me. Once all the vehicles went through, we were surprised that all the team buses started coming by! Seeing all the lions piled in the front window of the UAE bus was hilarious.
On the road again
We packed up and followed the direction of the race. It was really fun to drive the route that the Tour had just ridden. Not long after, we got stopped because the roads were still closed. We took the opportunity to stop at a little café and grab lunch.
A sign!
We were stopped at a one-way tunnel and there was a TDF neon green sign! I hopped out and grabbed it as fast as I could! Sam spotted two more of the signs and pulled over to grab them. (You’ll see campervans with numerous signs all around their windows). He ended up giving one of them to another passing car who asked for one.
Riverbed exploring
On the way to the next stage, Sam spotted a riverbed and wanted to go exploring. He has always loved climbing on rocks. (Side note – we spent our honeymoon camping in Utah, and all he wanted to do was climb a rock). It was really hard to walk on, the rocks were really wobbly. I ended up going back, leaving him to explore. I was also worried about leaving the campervan unattended in a small dirt lot.
Stage 18 spot
Just before 6pm we found the perfect spot. I have always wanted to park on a switchback going up a climb. This climb wasn’t big, but we would be able to see the race from many different angles. We made friends with two older brothers in a camper across from us. They didn’t speak any English, but they still gave us a bottle of wine. Again, the French are so hospitable! We also made friends with two cousins who parked next to the brothers (more on them the next stage).
Race traffic
Then, the most exhilarating thing happened. Possibly the coolest thing we could have ever experienced. The end of the stage we had just watched ended at the top of the mountain near us. Every vehicle that was on top of the mountain came down the road we were parked on. We saw all the gendarmes, TV crews, logistics (podiums, food), campervans, bikers, team cars, and most thrillingly, the team buses go past us. Knowing that all the riders were actually on the buses was so exciting! I was screaming for “Cavendish,” “Jonas,” and “Pogi.” I’ll be honest, I love them all.
We put our anniversary sign in the window and people honked at us on their way down. For three hours straight, vehicles came past us. For another hour, all the stragglers came right past us.
Tips
- Always have a pair of pliers handy when you are taking the race signs down. Sometimes they cut wire so close that you can’t use your fingers to untwist it.
Tomorrow
We couldn’t believe that tomorrow would be our last day following the race. It turns out to be the BEST day ever. Stay tuned for Stage 18! If you enjoyed reading this, I would love for you to subscribe to my newsletter and to my (in progress) social media pages. I love sharing our adventures and travels with you!