Dutchman baffles a tour course together: ‘ASO is making it more difficult for me than before’ | a trip

“In recent years I have correctly predicted 95 to 100 percent of the Tour’s trajectory. But this year I am less confident.”

Talks Thomas Vergwen, the race-crazy Dutchman who has been trying to figure out the start and end places for the tour since 2007 before the track was officially announced.

How does Vergouwen go on his quest?

“I mainly rely on local French newspapers and hotel reservations,” says the 43-year-old Dutchman.

“If you see on the websites of large hotel groups (such as Accor and Louvre) that there are suddenly much fewer hotel rooms available on a given day in July than on other days, there is a very good chance that the tour operator ASO will do something about it.

“Because who the hell is going to book hotels in September or October for July next year? That never happens, unless there’s a big event like the tour.”

Based on hotel reservations, Vergouwen knows which area the tour will stop in. “This way I know the tour will take place in the Alps from July 14 to 20 this year.”

Vergouwen will find out the starting and arrival places in the regional newspapers.

“Although I’ve noticed that there are fewer rumors going around in the papers than before. The ASO is trying to make it more difficult for me by wanting to keep everything as secret as possible,” laughs Ferguin.

In addition to regional newspapers and hotel reservations, Vergouwen also uses anonymous sources.

“They are becoming more and more important. They are the people who call me and say they heard this or that rumor. Of course I can’t focus on that, because it might just be someone who wants to give me incorrect information.”

He also assists readers of his website Velowire Vergouwen in his quest. “Under my article about the itinerary of the tour, they respond with information and articles about the new rumors.”

on me Article It has already been answered over 500 times.

The article on this year’s tour rumors has already been clicked 230,000 times. Doesn’t the ASO feel that Vergouwen is getting ahead of him?

“In the past, some people from ASO have had trouble with the work I’ve done. But that’s been since Christian Prudhomme, head of Tour, has indicated internally that he has no problem with it.”

“Prudhomme thinks it’s a good idea to cross out incorrect information and not delete it like other journalists do. He likes to follow how I get into the tour cycle.”

“Of course my research also provides some additional publicity for the tour. Because my rumors are often shared on social media and are also used by newspapers the day before the course is shown.”

Vergouwen has been on the tour for years for his employer Orange. This year he worked at Jumbo-Visma for the first time during the tour.

“I was working there as a hospitality coordinator and took guests from Jumbo-Visma in a carriage.”

“I really started with that in the last stages of the Giro. Then I said to team boss Richard Plug: ‘I’m coming in and Queen Bowman wins two stages and the mountain jersey.’ “

“I added: ‘I have very good news for you, because I have also been working for you throughout the Tour de France.’ And we know how that Tour ended for Jumbo-Visma,” Vergouwen laughs.

During the stages of the tour, Vergouwen stood by the side of the road with Jumbo-Visma guests to hand out water bottles and supply bags.

“It was said on TV that the constant supply was one of the reasons Jumbo-Visma won the Tour.”

“Gerant Thomas came to ask me for a bottle of water during one of the stage, while I was wearing a jumbo-visma shirt. This indicates that Eneos was less organized in that area. So I may have had a very small share of the tour after all. – Jumbo-Visma’s victory” .