Before you set off, you must familiarise yourself with the race rules so that you can experience your race in the best conditions and reach the finish:
Remember to verify your compulsory equipment: helmet, water bottle, repair kit with 2 spare inner tubes or a specific tubular tyre or tubeless tyre puncture repair kit as well as a in the event of a puncture.
A mechanical assistance service will be available but you may have to ride for several kilometres to reach the nearest one. Diferents Shimano fixed service points will be positioned along the route and mobile operations.
For your safety, please be attentive about the following points:
- Complete closure of the road: no personal vehicles will be allowed
- Crossroads and junctions: secured by the Gendarmerie and the signallers (near 500 people)
- Different packs: flanked by 80 motorcyclists (Gendarmerie and civilian).
Despite these exceptional conditions, please be prudent throughout the whole race and respect the safety rules:
- Stay on the right when you are being overtaken to avoid creating traffic jams. In the ascents, if you have to get off your bike, stay well to the right to allow other riders to continue their climb.
- Only overtake on the left
- Indicate when you overtake
- Ride very carefully on the downhill sections of the mountain passes, they are very narrow and windy.
- Although the race takes place on closed roads, the organisation's vehicles (safety and medical services) will take the same route as you. They will overtake you on the left so please facilitate their access.
- Ensure you have suitable clothing for all weather conditions, as they can change suddenly in the mountains. Make sure you don’t catch cold or get sunstroke.
- Anticipate your nutritional needs to avoid getting hunger pangs.
- Don’t overestimate your level of fitness.
Dial the emergency no. if you witness a serious accident and indicate the kilometric marker where you are located: +33 9 72 45 60 01 (this number is indicated on your race number). You can also dial this number in the event of a problem on the route so that the Race Headquarters can be informed if necessary. A family information point will be set up at the Finish Village.
Please be aware that first-aid stations will be set up along the whole route and at the finish to allow you to seek medical advice, if required.
In the event of an accident, don't panic:
- 11 ambulances and 10 doctors are dispersed along the whole route
- They will take care of you.
- Your bike will be taken to the finish (it will be returned to you upon presentation of your race number)
Riders who are overtaken by the time vehicle are considered as no longer in the race and are therefore disqualified. They will not feature in the classification.
If you are one of these riders, we suggest that you go to the nearest recovery point indicated by the organisation, that you’ll be able to find on your roadmap (in your race number envelope).
A transport scheme will be put in place to take you from the finishing line with your bicycle. It is possible to leave and return by your own means if you wish. However, access to the roads used by the race route will be refused by the organisers and the police for safety reasons and to also respect road-reopening constraints requested by the local authorities.
The detailed route timetable will be available in spring.
Respecting the strating areas
In 2019, for the first time, the organisers took measures in order to use the starting area which you have been assigned to. This also helps improve fluidity and safety on the race route. Too many cyclists try and begin the race in a different starting area from the one they should be in. Some are even unpleasant with the volunteers in charge of handling the starts.
This year again,participants who cheat and begin the race from a starting zone before the one to which they are assigned will be automatically disqualified after analysis of their start time.
In 2023, 150 people were disqualified.
Environmental friendliness
In 2019, for the first time, the organisers took punitive measures with regard to poor behaviour on the roads. These measures paid off because the roads were much cleaner than usual once the race had passed by. Thank you to everybody who contributed to keeping our roads clean.
This year once again, any person observed disposing of waste outside the facilities set up for this purpose shall be disqualified”.
In 2023, 2 people were disqualified after disposing of waste on the road.