The Tour de France 2011 is coming..

This Tuesday sees the presentation in Paris of the route for the Tour de France 2011.

I fancy the idea of watching a stage of the TdF live at some point. And next year is my 40th – perfect opportunity for a lads weekend away

What do we know already about the route? Well, the Grand Depart is in the Vendee – a beautiful part of France that I have visited plenty but which is also quite flat.

The first stage crossing the road from Normatier to the mainland would be quite interesting. The road that links the island to the mainland is submerged at high tide, and so when the riders cross it could well be treacherous!!

But I think if you’re going to watch a stage, it has to be on a mountain somewhere. Flat means fast and a blurred peloton as the highlight of a 700 round trip doesn’t sound like much fun.

It is also rumoured that this year will celebrate the Alps, so mountains are sure to be the focus.

So I will be watching the route announcement on Tuesday not only to see where the race will be going but also where I might go and watch it too!!

I imagine a rented campervan with bikes on the back, loaded with lads and beer heading off to watch from some mountain summit, but I’ve never done anything like this before, so need to put in some homework. Apparantly, fans turn up three or more days in advance to get the perfect spot on the perfect curve, near the summit finishes.

If anyone has ever done anything like this before, and has some tips and tricks to get the best out of such a trip, please let me know.