Tour de France by Camper: 6 Tips for the Perfect Trip (INT-EN)

Hamburg’s cult cycling collective Rad Race (ft. shops, events, podcasts, community and so much more) took their SUNLIGHT camper van to the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes. We asked Paulin Rodenstock and Jakob Flanderka to explain why this “absolutely insane” road trip deserves a spot on your bucket list (whether you’re a cycling nerd or not) and how to get the very best out of the experience.

Once in a lifetime – minimum!

For both of us, seeing the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes live was a first. You have all those scenes from the TV broadcasts in your head, but you simply cannot imagine what actually happens on the streets. The vibes, the crowds from every nation, this huge party…

It’s so spectacular that you have to experience it at least once in your life. We had our doubts, wondering whether the whole thing would just come down to those few seconds when the peloton flashes past. But then it dawned on us just how much more there is to see and celebrate around it.

"It’s pure mayhem out on those roads. No rules apply. And you're right in the middle of it…"

A highlight for road cyclists: L'Étape du Tour

Both times, we were a crew of six: four Rad Race team members plus two winners from the Rad Race community. We followed three stages live and rode l’Étape du Tour de France ourselves – an event that lets everyday riders take on the original route of the queen stage on roads completely closed to traffic.

For the men, that meant 170 km and 5,400 metres of climbing; for the women, 112 km and 3,000 metres – with Mont Ventoux and its legendary 1,400 metres of elevation gain waiting on the final 20 kilometres. For us, it was the toughest challenge of our road cycling lives so far. But we made it through, and it was an absolutely epic experience.

How it all unfolds: so much more than just a race

From the TV broadcasts, all you really see are the moments of cheering as the peloton races past. What you don’t see:

Waiting = party-time: How you instantly make friends with total strangers from all over the world, strike up conversations, and spend the “waiting time” singing and celebrating together.

Carnival with gifts: One or two hours before the pros arrive, the Caravane publicitaire – a wonderfully wild promotional convoy – makes its way down the route. It’s a long and completely mad procession of decorated vehicles handing out products carnival-style: bandanas, hats, T-shirts, drinks. Suddenly you’re loaded up with the most one-of-a-kind souvenirs. Tip: the louder you cheer, the more generous they get with the giveaways…
From live stream to live experience: How you watch the live stream together as a group, and then experience this incredible shift into the real thing live. Surreal!

Unbelievably close up: How, as a spectator, you form part of the human tunnel and have to be careful not to get too close to the riders. You can practically feel them breathing as they pass. Up in the mountains, the peloton is rarely together, so you first see the breakaway riders, then the following groups. So much happens in such a short space of time that afterwards you’re left standing there thinking: “What on earth just happened?”
Top bikes in slow motion: How it’s far from over once the pros have gone past. If you’ve got an eye for gear, the convoy of support vehicles that follows gives you a slow-motion parade of pro bikes to admire.

The ultimate Tour de France strategy: 6 tips for campers

1. Do your research beforehand on exactly where you want to park (and where you can actually park a camper van comfortably). A long climb is ideal, where you get to watch the pros for a good stretch of time and can feel the wave of excitement snaking its way up the mountain.

2. Get there early, traffic jams are guaranteed. You should aim to have your spot staked out a good two hours or more in advance.

3. Scope out the crowd and you’ll soon spot who’s promising the most fun: creative fancy dress is usually a dead giveaway. The atmosphere up in the mountains is especially good.

4. Stock the camper for the perfect day with plenty of camping chairs and a fully loaded fridge.

5. Take in at least two or three stages. We had completely different experiences from stage to stage: one up in the mountains, in the full thick of the action. One out among the vineyards, where things were noticeably calmer, but we really got to enjoy the scenery too. And then we stood at the finish line, realizing just how enormous these races truly are. And, of course, getting swept up in the overwhelming emotion of it all.

6. Build the Trip de Tour into a bigger journey: the stages are perfect as part of a longer travel. That way you can also ride other original stage routes yourself – or simply sit back and enjoy France.