I’m going to be in the Lot / Dordogne region when Stage 8 of the Tour comes through in a few weeks. I’m planning to take the kids to see the peloton pass through, which I’ve done there before and know the area (and backroads) well, so that part should be pretty straightforward.
However, I’d like to go for a ride earlier in the day and it would be cool to ride the route ahead of the caravan coming through, then park up to meet my family in advance of the caravan arriving. I’ve never done that part.
I know the roads close 3-4 hours before the race comes through (at least an hour before the caravan comes through). But can anyone share any experience in how far ahead of the caravan I’d need to be so as to be allowed to ride on the road without getting waved down and pulled over by officials / Gendarmes?
My ideal plan would be to get into the sweet spot between road closure and caravan - effectively getting a free ride on a closed road with the whole tour set up in place. And I know that can be done at smaller races no problem, but I suspect the tour is not quite as easy going.
Has anyone done this before and how close to the caravan arriving were you forced to pull over? I’ll need to err on the side of caution as I will not be popular if I’m stuck down the road with my family waiting further along.
Please let me know if you can share any experiences. Thanks in advance