Plan your spot for the Tour de France

IF you are keen to catch a stage of this year's Tour de France then the official website has details of the route being taken around l'hexagone.

The 99th tour starts on Saturday, June 30 from the Belgian city of Liège before rolling in to Paris and finishing on the Champs-Élysées on Sunday, July 22.

But if you are keen to see the race then you can now get out your map book and plan your day to take in one of the world's greatest sporting events.

The Tour de France site has details of the route for each stage if you click on the Time Schedule tab a little way down the page.

Here you will find information on the start time of the stage, when the crazy promotional caravane heads past and the expected arrival times at different points of the cyclists depending upon their average speed.

Local to me here in the Dordogne, stage 18 starts at Toulouse Blagnac with the departure of the caravane at around 9.20am, before the cyclists themselves set off at 11.05am.

As they head north towards Brive-la-Gaillarde, just a short 222.5 km away, the speediest cyclists arrive in Cahors around 13.45pm, those bringing up the rear will be about 15 minutes behind.

So with a bit of planning you can find a spot on the route, pop out the picnic table and take in the fun and excitement of the day.

A few years ago I did just that when the race went through Figeac, in the Lot, arriving mid-morning as the crowds swelled, to take in one of the spectacles of French life.