Questions about Seeing thre Tour in Paris
Dumbass
was wondering if I could do all the good stuff that the tour package
offered on my own.
1. Can you just rent a bike and ride around the Champs Elysee in the
morning before the racers arrive? Or do you have to make special
arrangements?
2. Can you purchase tickets for seats with a good view? How do you
get a good view?
Thanks
ilan
I rode around the Champs-Elysee on a rental bike a couple of months
ago, but I'd rather ride almost anywhere else, given a choice.
-ilan
Mike Jacoubowsky
news:a6d1ea76-7eb0-4fa8...@u12g2000vbf.googlegroups.com...
There are special packages that allow you to sit in the grandstands, but at
a cost of about $350/person. You can rent a bike in Paris, but you probably
won't be able to ride on the Champs Elysees except at a ridiculously-early
hour, since it will be closed to traffic (and besides, it's not that much
fun).
The final day of the TdF is probably best viewed on TV. It's an insane
madhouse, to say the least. Much better would be to see it a few days
earlier in the Alps, or the day before on the final time trial around
Grenoble.
As for doing things on your own vs a tour company, if this is your first
time to France, I'd go for the tour company.
You can find more info here-
http://www.chainreaction.com/tdfwatching.htm
http://www.chainreaction.com/france03racephotos.htm
http://www.chainreaction.com/diaryfrance.htm
--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA
DirtRoadie
wrote:
> The final day of the TdF is probably best viewed on TV. It's an insane
> madhouse, to say the least.
What he said. BTDT.
>Much better would be to see it a few days
> earlier in the Alps, or the day before on the final time trial around
> Grenoble.
Climbs are great places to take in the whole spectacle.
DR
Mike Jacoubowsky
>
>DR
Yep. That was spelled out in this link-
http://www.chainreaction.com/tdfwatching.htm
The Genoble individual time trial could provide some great spots for
viewing, since it will be pretty hilly. And Alpe d'Huez is the day before.
It's going to be a tough final week
Anton Berlin
> get a good view?
>
> Thanks
Just shove your way to the front by knocking over old women and small
children like every other American does.
If you're some other nationality you're on your own.
Anton Berlin
PS - if anyone complains be sure to mention that if it wasn't for your
grandfather (actually a slow witted hairlip and flat footed 4F) that
there wouldn't even be a tour de france.
If they don't seem to understand just repeat it louder and louder in
English until they do.
Mike Jacoubowsky
news:29050052-5f03-457b...@z27g2000prz.googlegroups.com...
How do you
> get a good view?
>
> Thanks
Just shove your way to the front by knocking over old women and small
children like every other American does.
If you're some other nationality you're on your own.
=====
Do you just make this stuff up as you go along, or have you actually been to
the TdF?
Anton Berlin
cuntry men make absolute cunts out of themselves in every corner of
the world. If you haven't noticed you'd have to be one of them.
Mike Jacoubowsky
> Have you ? I've spent 6+ years outside of 'merika watching my fellow
> cuntry men make absolute cunts out of themselves in every corner of
> the world. If you haven't noticed you'd have to be one of them.
Well gee, um, yeah, you're probably better qualified than me for what goes
on at the 'Tour. I've been there for 10 of the past 11.
In general (and you seem to be into generalizations), Americans are fine as
long as they're not in a group of, say, 6 or more. Get a large enough group
and guaranteed someone's going to be stupid and start asking why they can't
do things the way "we" do, leaving you to wonder why bother traveling if you
don't want to see something different.
But otherwise, Americans generally are pretty comfortable making fun of
themselves compared to many, and while we don't "queue up" as properly as
the Britts, we don't tend to barge into places we don't belong either
(unless you're from Texas, and that's not a reference to Lance, seriously,
it's just an observation that many from Texas don't seem to think
tresspassing's an issue unless you get caught, which is a bit ironic since
you do that in Texas and you might get met by a shotgun).
Talk with the shop keepers about their preferences, and, again making
generalizations, they don't mind Americans. They don't understand why we
don't learn other languages, but we generally do as we're told. I've also
been told, more than once (in France) that they *like* Americans because
we're the only people who don't understand that we're supposed to be bullied
into submission by the Germans. We hold our ground because we don't know any
better, which is fine by them (the French). This is mostly an issue in
restaraunts, where we're willing to hold our ground and not let someone cut
in line.
I like figuring out how systems work (systems, by the way, are far more
important than language... there's a certain way things work in different
countries, and once you figure that out, you've learned something more
important than language). I love watching people and how they interact. My
first trip to Paris, I hung out in the hotel lobby for a while, curious
about the supposed rudeness towards Americans, and what an eye-opener that
was. If you wanted to see "rude" just wait until someone from the south of
France checked in. Talk about being shredded; they're treated like hicks.
There's just this thing about "Paris" such that anything outside just isn't
quite a worthy. It's not about Americans, and it's egocentric to think that
it is, but that's how it seems unless you're willing to watch and listen and
think maybe things aren't quite what you thought.
RicodJour
You seem to have a lot of shame. Nothing witty to say - just making
an observation.
R
Dumbass
How you you say "surrender monkeys" in French?