This video of the 2009 Tour de France course has been going around.
With Google Earth 5.0’s new Tour functionality, particularly the GX extensions in the KML Touring spec, I reckon it should be possible to create a similar flythrough for my forthcoming Thurlon trip, based on GPX route data and adding appropriate features, zooms and swoops to show the interesting bits.
I’ve just noticed, incidentally, that the Thurlon trip is on at the same time as the latter part of the TdF and finishes on the same day. We aren’t, however, traveling further than the TdF riders, on any of the days, and we certainly aren’t doing any alpine-sized climbs! We are actually going further than the TdF riders on the final weekend.
| Date | Thurlon | Our Terrain | Destination | Tour de France |
Their Terrain | Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 July | 63km | Time trial | Thurso | 200km | Medium mountains | Colmar |
| 18 July | 145km | Medium mountains | The Black Isle | 199km | Plain | Besançon |
| 19 July | 140km | Medium mountains | The Great Glen | 208km | High mountains | Verbier |
| 20 July | 141km | Medium mountains | Loch Lomond | Rest day | Rest day | Verbier |
| 21 July | 138km | Plain | Edinburgh | 159km | High mountains | Bourg-Saint-Maurice |
| 22 July | 152km | Medium mountains | Morpeth | 170km | High mountains | Le Grand-Bornand |
| 23 July | 146km | Plain | Whitby | 41km | Time trial | Annecy |
| 24 July | 144km | Plain | Lincolnshire | 178km | Plain | Aubenas |
| 25 July | 164km | Plain | King’s Lynn | 167km | High mountains | Mont Ventoux |
| 26 July | 173km | Plain | London | 164km | Plain | Paris |