What’s your Tour?

A grandfather cycling with his grandchildren, behind-the-scenes race staff or amateurs who almost matched the professionals’ performances on the Tour de France. Everyone has a different experience of the famous race. Here are some of their stories.

19. 7. 2024 Lifestyle

@phillippmuuss has turned the Tour into a honeymoon: “I’m happy I could share this with my wife. We’re cyclists ourselves and we’ll never forget these moments. That’s our Tour.”

Following in the footsteps of the race was the approach chosen by profil @beppe_travasoni: “Seeing the greatest champions fight it out on one of their favourite climbs, the Colle del Barbotta, is something unique.”

And @jendacaha went on a cycling holiday to Provence with his father. It’s surprising they found time to sleep or eat. “This time we headed off across Europe for a week, taking in Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria and, of course, Czechia…”

An amazing atmosphere

It isn’t only fans on social media who have been sharing their experiences. Jakub Frey, content creator and Canon global brand ambassador has added his insights and experiences from the Tour to the mosaic. “I’ve been a cyclist all my life, although I mainly ride mountain bikes. I watched the Tour on TV as a kid, but never dreamed of being able to attend the event for work. The first time was thanks to Škoda, when the Tour started in Nice – we took photos of the race director’s Superb there.”

This is Jakub Frey’s view of the Tour de France from his Kodiaq.

This time around, Jakub is driving a Kodiaq on the Tour, as he and Cameron Jeffers produce content for Škoda We Love Cycling. The Kodiaq has been a real partner for him on the Tour de France. He has even had a comfortable night’s sleep in the car on the way to the start of this year’s race in the Alps. “We’re in the Pyrenees now and just yesterday we parked beside the road, on the rocks. No problem. We can see how others struggle with this – they can’t go off road and if they try, they don’t get anywhere,” the social media content creator adds.

Jakub Frey (right) and Cameron Jeffers are content creators for Škoda We Love Cycling. Photo: Ondřej Kalman

“Cameron and I try to look for interesting stories or anecdotes among the fans. We met two ladies who were staying in their caravan right by the track. We went back to see them after the peloton had passed and asked how two elegant older women – one in her 60s and her mom, who was well into her 80s – came to be at the Tour. The older lady said that for many years she used to come to the Tour with her husband in a caravan. And when her husband passed away, her daughter took his place and now she drives her mum every year to keep the tradition going,” Jakub Frey says.

“The fans were a big surprise to me at first. I wasn’t aware what an atmosphere they can create.” Jakub cites the Basques as some of the riders’ strongest supporters at the track, and they really make themselves seen and heard. But it’s not just the Basques. “Yesterday we interviewed two middle-aged ladies from Germany. We asked how they were going to support the riders, and they proudly showed off their pink flamingo costumes. And they had a huge inflatable unicorn in the background,” says Frey, adding that from a work perspective he is fascinated by the sheer numbers of people and the frenzy the crowd works itself up into, which seems to become something bigger than just fans cheering. Witnessing a big event like this happening in their city drives people absolutely wild.

Herman is the son of user @ewout._debruijn and an enthusiastic young cyclist. He took part in a charity race that raised forty thousand euros for a children’s fund!

Memories came flooding back for @having.an.adventure on his multi-generational bike ride – the 75-year-old grandfather rode alongside six-year-old Bethany.

There was an unusual experience from the Tour for user @the.cycling.nutritionist – when an official police escort asks you to sit on his bike so he can take a photo, that’s something you won’t forget!

Senftenberg camp site is recommended by @david.chvatal. His experience featured heat stroke, muscle fatigue and a long sleep. And home cinema in the evening.

Thirteen peaks, 296 kilometres and 5,369 metres climbed in two days? Hats off to @janmakovic.

How do the fans react when Romain Bardet passes close to his home?

And what does this local star mean to cycling fans?

Eritrean rider Biniam Girmay is seen in the peloton. His fans are enthusiastic and tireless, and they didn’t hesitate to come all the way from East Africa to see him.

Mixed feelings

Zdeněk Štybar, five-time cyclocross world champion and winner of one stage on the Tour, is one of those who shared his experiences with the famous race. “For me, getting to the Tour has always been a huge motivation, an absolute goal. It is the world’s greatest celebration of cycling. People turn it into a holiday, they’re relaxed and in a good mood. The Tour always has a great atmosphere.”

Zdeněk Štybar races to victory in stage 6 of the 2015 Tour de France.

This year, he joined the Škoda team on the Tour for the first time and, like Jakub Frey, he knows all about the Kodiaq escort car, as this is the model he drives in his everyday life. “I’ve covered about ten thousand kilometres in it, driving from Belgium to the Czech Republic and back again several times. One detail I really appreciate, especially on longer journeys, is the massage seats. Even my son likes them and has learned to activate this function when the car is stationary. The spacious boot is also great, I can get all our suitcases in it, and when I’m driving alone I put my bike in it. The fuel consumption is also a pleasant surprise,” he says.

See all the different ways people have experienced this year’s Tour:

How does the Czech cycling champion remember his first time in the race? “Our son was born a week before the start. I had to leave my family and newborn baby for four long weeks. So I had mixed feelings. On the one hand I didn’t want to go – but then I won the sixth stage. That gave me an amazing boost, and what was even better was that my wife and son came to Paris for the last day – seeing them at the finish was incredibly powerful and emotional.”

Both the riders and social media content creators agree: the Tour’s mountain stages are the most thrilling.

The holy grail

“The Tour is the love of my life, and we go back a really long way. It’s the holy grail of cycling. This race has shaped my career, both when I was a professional rider, but also in what I’m doing today. So yes, it’s my holy grail too,” confided another cycling pro, Andy Schleck, who has won the Tour once, finished second twice and now works as a Škoda brand ambassador, driving cars on the course and looking after guests. Everyone has their own way of enjoying the Tour.

Andy Schleck

Now works as a Škoda brand ambassador, looking after guests and driving the accompanying vehicles, among which electric cars are becoming increasingly popular. What does he think about this technology – is it the future at cycling races as well? “Definitely. For one thing, using clean energy instead of fossil fuels is a major contribution to sustainability. But more importantly, we are in cars that drive in front of the peloton and right next to the riders, so once the whole fleet of support cars is electric, it will be a big benefit just for the riders.

The Luxembourg cyclist recalls his first memories of the famous race. “I was a little kid and I used to love watching Laurent Fignon and Greg LeMond battle it out. In 1989 Fignon lost the Tour by eight seconds, which is still the closest winning margin ever. My memories of their rivalry and competition for the yellow jersey are the first I have of the Tour. And later, I would often stand by the race course to watch Marco Pantani.” Andy Schleck also remembers his first Tour experience as a rider. “That was in 2008. I was riding in my first Tour and I was mesmerised by what a huge event it was. I was waiting at the start and my mind was going over everything I’d had to do to get to that point. I never imagined that I would win it one day.” Schleck may say that, but he managed to finish eighth on his debut.

Attractive stops on the Tour 2024 – pinot and Lourdes

The Tour de France has always been associated with summer and holidays. It’s no surprise that many fans have always combined attending the race with trips to interesting parts of France. This year, for example, the famous Burgundy vineyards of Morey-Saint-Denis on the Côte de Nuits are an unmissable destination. If you drink French pinot noir, that’s where it will most likely come from. There are a number of wineries in the district that are well worth a visit and several gourmet restaurants. The town of Rocamadour is a great place to visit as well. Not only is it famous for its monks, pilgrims and medieval atmosphere, but in 2022 Jonas Vingegaard won the final time trial of the Tour de France here. And what about Lourdes? Besides miracles and healing, it is closely linked with the Tour, as several stages in the race’s history have started here, and in 1948 the hero of Italian cycling, Gino Bartali, even took the winner’s bouquet straight to the local grotto in honour of the Virgin Mary. And for those of you who aren’t into miracles, there’s a seaside village along the route called Fleury d’Aude. As well as the vineyards and harbour, it also includes the resort of Saint Pierre la Mer, a favourite haunt of the painter Toulouse-Lautrec. There’s no doubt that every Tour de France route offers a variety of experiences, so why not enjoy them to the full? Santé!