Last summer, I got to watch the Tour de France in person for the first time in France, having previously seen the Grand Départ in Denmark. It was a day full of excitement, beautiful French views, and some unexpected moments. Cheering for the riders in the heat made for a memorable experience. Today’s route presentation inspired me to look back at that amazing trip before looking forward to what’s next.
Stage 16 - A day out on the french roads in the scorching heat
We arrived at our Air B&B at around 2:00 in the morning on July 16th, and less than 12 hours later, we were already heading out into the scorching French summer heat to cheer on the riders on stage 16 of the Tour de France. We found a spot about 15 km from the finish, where a group of other Danes had also gathered. In a fun coincidence, one of them turned out to be an old teacher of mine, so it was also nice to see her again.
It was hot—very hot—and eventually, my mom had to leave us to go back to the car because she wasn’t feeling well in the heat. My dad and I stayed behind, waiting for the caravan, which was probably the highlight of the day. When the caravan arrived, we momentarily forgot about the heat as we watched the decorated vehicles pass, listened to the music, and tried to catch some of the freebies being tossed our way. The caravan created an energetic atmosphere that made the wait more enjoyable until. After the caravan it was not a long wait till the peloton came by as about 45 minutes later, they flew by so fast that you could nearly have missed it you blinked.
Were those few seconds worth the wait out on the scorching hot French roads? Maybe not, but the entire experience was still unforgettable. The atmosphere on the road, spending time with my parents, the excitement of the caravan, and the build-up to the riders passing by definitely made it worth it. I’d do it all again—though I’d prefer not doing it on 4 hours of sleep in 35-degree heat 😅.
A Kind stranger, and an amazing day
Later that day, I got a DM from a guy named Thomas. He had two tickets for the start of stage 17 in Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux. I was honestly a bit skeptical at first—why would anyone be so kind as to give free tickets to a stranger? But since he didn’t ask for any private information, we decided to say yes. And luckily it did turn out to not be a scam, as I received the tickets by email that same day
On the 17th, we were up early—this time with a bit more sleep, before driving about an hour to the starting city. We had a bit of trouble finding a parking spot, but once we did, it was just a short walk to the town. My mom and I headed to the VIP area, where we had received tickets, while my dad stayed outside to enjoy the caravan.
Here, my mom and I met Thomas, and we couldn’t thank him enough for his generosity 🙏. He even gave us a bag with some goodies before we went on to explore the VIP area. Walking around gave me a real sense of just how big of a circus the Tour de France really is. It made me think about the immense amount of work behind the scenes—moving all of this from one place to another every day and organizing everything must take so much effort.
In the VIP area, we got to see signed jerseys, enjoy free food and drinks, take photos, explore the various booths and just enjoy the atmosphere.
Once we finished exploring, we went out to find my dad before searching for a spot to watch the riders. We found a corner where we could see them on their way to the team presentation, and Christopher Juul-Jensen even waved at us! 👋 It was nice seeing the riders at a slower pace coming by individually or in small groups.
The atmosphere was amazing, especially when some of the bigger names and jersey wearers like Pogacar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel, Van Aert and Van der Poel passed by. The energy level especially increased, when green jersey wearer Biniam Girmay came by 💚 and let`s just be honest that is very understandable 🙌
Shortly before the race started, we noticed more and more people gathering at the corner, not just where we could see the riders heading to the team presentation, but also across the road and a bit further down. We realized the riders would be passing by on the other side during the neutral start. So, we quickly moved over to catch the pack rolling by at a slow pace.
Then we then went to the other site of the road, to get a better view, and we were able to get a great view of the pack rolling by at a slow pace.
All in all, this day was magical ✨ From the kindness of a stranger to enjoying the VIP area, spending quality time with my parents, and watching the riders pass by, it was all just INCREDIBLE. I would definitely recommend this experience in the start town more than what we did the day before out on the roads. While it was still hot, being able to stand in the shade and have things happening around us definitely made it easier to handle the heat. Plus, we got to see the riders more times and at slower speeds!
With today’s route presentation, I am already starting to plan a trip to France for next summer!
In addition to all the wonderful memories, we also collected quite a few nice souvenirs from the event, especially a ton of hats 🧢
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