5 free spots to watch the cycling road race this weekend

Most of the time, the peloton in the streets of Paris is a bit like a TGV going throught the countryside: full speed ahead! But before you set off, did you know that the first 5 km are used by the cyclists as a warm-up? This is your chance to watch them move at a snail's pace, between the Trocadéro (16th) and the rue Gay-Lussac (5th), where the official start will be given at around 11 a.m.

After more than 200 km for the men and 100 km for the women, and a dozen or so bumps in the Yvelines and Hauts-de-Seine regions - worthy of a Flandrian classic - the peloton will complete its journey with a double loop in the north-east of Paris. Before the start of the race, the 90 male and 90 female runners will have to elbow their way to the head of the race on the banks of the Seine at Quai Conti (6th arrondissement), before crossing the Pont du Carrousel (central Paris). Facing the Ile de la Cité, that you'll have to settle in and wait for them to pass.

On the final 18.4km circuit, with its technical bends and numerous false flats, the cobbled climb of the Butte Montmartre (1km, 6.5% gradient) is the highlight of the show. While the peloton is expected to make its first pass around 4pm, you'll have to get up early to find the best place on rue Lepic or at the foot of Sacré-Cœur (18th). Will the Belgians and Dutch have pitched their tents on the sidewalk the evening before? In any case, the atmosphere should be as intense as the Tour de France's greatest mountain stages. And who knows: maybe Julian Alaphilippe will come out on top on one of the three climbs scheduled on the hill (46 km, 28 km and 9.5 km from the finish)?

After descending the 14% gradient of rue de Ménilmontant (20th), the runners will also pass twice through rue de Belleville (19th). With its 5.5% gradient between boulevard de Belleville and rue des Pyrénées, the climb has been slightly forgotten about amidst the rest of the race. And yet, after 250 km of racing, legs will be heavy and the cyclists undoubtedly at the height of their struggle. This could be viewed as an opportunity to be in the ideal spot to observe the race as it happens, likely with fewer people present.

Let's bet on the fact that the race won't end in a sprint, but in a solo breakaway. If you want to be thrilled by the winner's tears a few hundred meters from the finish line, take a seat on the Quai Branly (7th arrondissement), in the shade of the trees along the banks of the Seine. This is your last chance to see the cyclists before the grandstand finish - which require a ticket - this time on the Pont d'Iéna (16th). They should be arriving at around 6 p.m.