Düsseldorf - Tour de France

30th June to 3rd July 2017

Days 1 & 2 - Arrival & Grand Départ

Grand Depart

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A visit with Miche, Emma & Hans.

We arrived in the early evening after a 120 mph taxi ride from Dortmund to Düsseldorf.

We checked into the rather funky Me and All Hotel and then headed to the Schumacher Alt beer hall...

Schumacher

Five sausage selection, surely the best way to get accustomed to any German city?

Sausage

The rather pleasant Alt-Beer - 1838er variant...

Alt Beer

Day 2 - Grand Départ

Screen

Bike and Kraftwerk poster in the hotel foyer...

Bike

Route map...

Map

Riders warming up on the circuit with the art deco Wilhelm-Marx-Haus as a backdrop...

Route

Peter Sagan warming up...

Sagan

One of the lead cars in the promotional caravan...

Caravan 1

More caravan vehicles...

Caravan 2

Tony Martin amongst the caravan...

Caravan 3

Génération Pêche - promoting angling in France...

Caravan 4

Miche fighting for a view in the wet...

Miche

Geraint Thomas...

Thomas

Ritchie Porte...

Richie Porte

Alberto Contador...

Contador

Nairo Quintana...

Quintana

Chris Froome...

Froome

Dinner at another beer hall - zum Schiffchen; one of Napoleon's old watering places - we sat near his preferred seat...

zum Schiffchen

Hans (no paps) Mulder, Emma & Miche in zum Schiffchen...

Trio

Miche's very meaty stew...

Soup

My Schweinshaxe...

schweinshaxe

Hans & I popped into the Ueriga Brewery for a swift one, but the photos were too blurry...

Rhine at dusk...

Rhine by night

Next - Day 3 - Stage 1 & Boat Trip

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Days 1 & 2 - Arrival & Grand Départ

Day 3 - Stage 1 & Boat Trip

Day 4 - City