For those wanting to know how I decided to make appropriate reservations for seeing the decisive stages in the Alps for the 2011 Tour de France, well yes, I did a whole lot of internet searching (like everybody else) but eventually came across this site that seems to likely have it down best.

If you’d like to try and do the TdF thing in the Alps on your own, it could be pretty tough to find a place to stay right now. Just about everything booked up 10 days ago when a few more rumors firmed up, specifically regarding the likely stage finish on the Alpe d’Huez on the last Friday and the individual time trial up Chamrousse on Saturday. There will be plenty of opportunties to book with tour companies though, including Trek Travel. Another exciting option would be to ride the “citizen’s race” known as the Etap du Tour. This is held each year on the exact routing of what would be considered the “queen” or most-pivotal stage of the TdF, and this year, it is rumored to be the stage that finishes at the top of the Alpe d’Huez, and will take place on Sunday, July 17th.

After seeing the TdF in person many times, I’d have to say my preference runs to the Pyrenees, but I’ve always thought it most interesting to watch the final week, when the winner is determined. This year, that means the Alps, while for 2010 it was the Pyrenees.