What It’s REALLY Like to Spectate Tour de France

Have you ever flown halfway across the world, just to be centimetres from cycling gods? Because of BéloVélo luxe cycling tours – that’s exactly what I’ve done.

14 July, Bastille Day, Tour de France Stage 10 – is my first-ever Tour de France stage from the sidelines. It’s also the first time for my fellow BéloVélo cycling holiday tripmates: Ameline, James, Leslie, and Roman.

From 10 to 16 July, we came together to cycle various Tour de France monuments in the French Alps (e.g. Alpe d’Huez, Col du Galibier, Col du Glandon), and of course, spectate TDF Stage 10.

But this video only shows that singular, magical, immersive, and wonderful day that we shared with thousands of fellow fans.

And what a day it was.

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Our BéloVélo itinerary: http://belovelo.com/journey/tour-de-france-2025-stage-10-first-mountain-stage

Stage 10 official recap: https://www.letour.fr/en/stage-10

Strava ride on this day: https://www.strava.com/activities/15108923932

with Kit by Rapha | Gear by Entro Cycles Singapore 💛

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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/wooll/moonlit-stairway
License code: YS1X9R7ZOENFNEZJ

When you’re spectating your first ever tour France from the sideline, you truly understand how amazing and how terrifying it is to be just 2 cm away from your heroes. Hi, I’m Minnie from Singapore and this video shows the unexpected things that the TV cameras don’t show you about the electric experience of spectating the tour. Laurent and Danny are on their way to reserve a good spot for tomorrow. Their task is quite chaotic with the steel day parters and gale force winds complicating the tent setup. Today’s race starts after 1:00 p.m., but we’re here early to ride the exact same road that the pros will later do. So, this is today’s stage, and this is the 45km segment that we’re riding. It’s going to be an exciting day. First, because it’s France’s national day, we can expect French riders to be extra motivated. Next, this is also the first mountain stage followed by the first rest day. So, riders might go even harder since they have more time to recover from today. For us nonpros, the encouraging, supportive, enthusiastic audience give us a special boost to ride hard, too. All morning long, spectators were thrilled to see Lesie in the yellow jersey. Families and friends were cheering. Yon. It is such a party here with cowbells and handmade signs, posters and flags made out of t-shirts. Siblings give out high fives along the road, while buff men convince you they are Princess Peach. At 1451 m high, this is the second last climb that the pros will do in a few hours. This is also 10km away from the finish line, a potentially spicy battleground, but this isn’t where we’ll be spectating. Instead, we’ve got a spot about 2km before this summit. You can skip the next 1 minute while I fast forward the descent and give you some background about why I’m even here in the first place and why it’s downright amazing that there are four other guests with me. Just two months ago on 9 May, I received a DM from Laurent of Bellow introducing himself and his business. We then had two video calls on how to partner each other and within days he came up with a whole new itinerary for me because his existing trips were on dates I could not make. 14 May was the very first time that I announced this trip on Instagram. And I also emailed local shops, texted friends in various cycling groups, and made videos balancing engagement with promotion. But seriously, time was very tight. And logically speaking, there aren’t that many riders with the means and time to go allin on such a lastminute trip to Europe. So the fact that Emiline, James, Leslie, and Roman were here shows you that they really, really wanted to be here. And there’s nothing more amazing than passion like that. And that’s the story of how the seven of us, including Lauron and Danny, are now together under the bellow tent at Leondor. This is what it takes. Oh, you’re enjoying yourself. No, no, no, no. It’s no touch. No, no feeling. No feeling involved. No excitement. No feeling involved. No happiness. No feeling involved. Oh my goodness. It’s just professional. Okay. Just keep it business. It’s just professional business. From this point on, we have about 4 and 1/2 hours before the pros arrive. But this is no time for napping. It’s our turn to spectate and cheer riders on time for a picnic. And there is some sweets as well. Of pasta, cold beer, and new thirsty friends. Thank you guys. No problem. Here’s a pro tip. You can absolutely do a little dance for the E clerk t-shirt van and ask for more than one polka dot t-shirt. This van does this every tour, so keep an eye out for it when you go. It’s a bright and warm day, but the atmosphere is so lively and unique that I take a 45minute walk with my camera. [Applause] It’s a huge stroke of luck that I caught this on camera. It’s a Scoda bucket hat from one of the many advertising caravans to come. [Music] There’s a video at the end of this segment showing all the stuff that we collectively collect. Drink cans were the craziest thing that I saw being given out. [Applause] Oh, nice. There are many cube caravans. Nice one, Danny. Besides this hat, my luck or skill at attracting some goodies is actually shite. What the how much things you catch? Leslie was our biggest winner. Well done. And this is our final group hall. Because we have seven people on our side. This attracts two separate groups of spectators who try to propose an exchange of goodies. They ran away. I ran away. Laurent said, “When you hear the helicopters, that’s when they’re coming.” He also predicted that the riders will be curving towards our side. And he’s right. [Applause] [Music] We didn’t know it yet, but the new yellow jersey as well as the stage winner have just cycled passed. Because they’re climbing uphill, they’re slow enough for us to see their faces, snap some pictures, and watch them fly away. [Applause] Hey, cover. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] We’re all literally close enough to kiss our heroes, and you can feel the focus and sheer power radiating from them. Yes, there are several superstars in pro cycling, but every single rider here today is a hero for their grit and strength and for their sacrifices to even train to this level. which is why I’m trying to show every rider that passes by they’re magnificent. And when we see riders who are alone, we believe our cheers matter even more. Among this group of 16 are Wenard and Neils Plet. I belatedly realized that W had just passed by. [Applause] [Music] This is MVDP’s group and he would go on to ride five more stages before withdrawing due to pneumonia. It’s now been 18 minutes since the front of the pack passed us. And so some are leaving early to beat the crowds. With over 170 riders tackling today’s climbing stage, we are now at the tail end of the group. There are about 50 riders here. And for the past 4 and 1/2 hours, they’ve been tackling seven climbs and we’ll gain 4,500 m in elevation by the end of it. And the end is near, just 10.5 km away. It’s moments like these of pure luck, right place, right time that make the day so exciting and euphoric. But even without the goodies from the caravans or the flyaway bidons from the pros, being able to breathe the same air as people who love the sport as you do, as riders for whom this is their biggest race of the year, is just deeply special. Just when I thought my first ever TDF could not get any more special, we are visited by a herd of cute cows which just ran up to us and suddenly stopped. Dude, why did they just run towards us? Yeah, we’re okay, but give us five four minutes. James later told us that the cows were running away from loud motorbike sounds. Okay, bye cows. Don’t be so silly. There’s no food for you. I don’t come. They are gentle. Now we are all witness to my best pea break ever. We actually walked quite far down, intending to stay out of sight. Definitely didn’t expect to end up in the middle of a herd. After the initial shock, I was secretly hoping that I’ll be forced to pet a cow. But apparently, even though they are curious, they’re also quite timid and will run away if you get too near. Here, here. Okay. We’re going to put the giant condom now. Huh? Oh, so that’s what it was. Yes. Yes. No, no. You give me the back. Yeah. Remember how I said Lauron came up with a whole new itinerary for my dates? Well, it comes with a hefty human cost because the first 15 stages are all far away from the French Alps. And when I say far away, I mean 400km one way far away. But that’s our journey up the French Alps and across the countryside to the tours. This is not the part where I ask you to like and subscribe. This is the part where I scroll through 22 photos out of the 448 photos that I took at TDF stage 10. [Music] [Music] just ahead of him. Yuan Costu there wearing 133. Jorgensson setting the tempo on the front here. Are we lining this one up now for attack of Yonas Vinger Godard? It can only be that’s the the only reason why they they would do that. Um the other reason is to to try and get rid of the the riders u from from Emerald. So but Nias is there. He looks comfortable. I’m pretty sure um Yates is is there and there abouts. Remco well he’s having a quiet day today. He’s just caught up with Valentin Parro just offering a bottle. But um Henrik Mass still with Moby Star just at the back of the the group as well. which extended a little bit out to to 6 minutes. So, you know, we’ve got Ben Hilly’s got a 2 minutes um buffer virtually in the in the yellow jersey competition. So, Sept Cush now coming to front. So this is this is a big test um for u team memory. [Music] [Music] But we will do that.