(PDF via Scribd)
Love it or hate it, it’s Tour de France season! That means pubs and cafes throughout Portland are showing the big race so those of us without cable can catch all the action with fellow racing fans.
Below is a list of viewing locations in no particular order. If you know of a great place to watch the Tour and it’s not listed here, please add it in the comments. Thanks… And let’s just hope there’s more drama in the racing than in the crashes and doping scandals.
Bike Gallery – Live at three locations
Bike Gallery is opening the doors of their downtown, Woodstock, and Hollywood locations at 6:30am Monday – Friday. Tour fans will be treated to free coffee (from Nossa Familia) and pastries (from Lovejoy Baking). Full schedule and location details here.
Migration Brewing (2828 NE Glisan Street)
This looks like an awesome place to be. Five local companies have come together on this one. Migration Brewing is hosting and Yakima, Chris King, Velofight, and Double Mountain Brewery are providing prizes. Velofight is a fantasy league. People that registered a Tour de France team by July 3rd (sorry I didn’t post this sooner!) root for their team and win daily prizes based on how they perform. Viewing parties are from 5:00 – 8:00pm on select stages only (July 3, 10, 11, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25). Download event flyer (via Scribd).
St. Honore Boulangerie (2335 NW Thurman)
St. Honore has been showing the Tour live for years now and it’s a great spot to watch the action live with some of the best baked treats anywhere in the city. More info at their Tour de France page.
(Photo: Fred Lifton)
‘La Musette’ at Grochau Cellers (2621 NW 30th)
This special, 3-day event has returned for the third year in a row. During the Tour’s final weekend (7/23 – 7/25), Grochau Cellers will host a special, multi-course meal along with specially chosen wines. Each night the dishes, cheeses, and wines will be inspired by the towns along the route of the Tour. Top local chefs and John Grochau (the man behind ‘Commuter Cuvee‘) will help make this a memorable feast. Reservations and more info at the La Musette website.
Apex Bar (SE 11th and Division)
Apex is the new beer bar with a patio that bike lovers are raving about. Owner Jesse McCann says they’ll have the TVs tuned to Versus during their regular hours (11:30am – 2:30am) and “will probably open early for some of the more critical mountain stages.” For the killer Stage 9 on July 13th, the Hopworks Beer Bike will make an appearance for a new HUB beer release.
Paddy’s (SW 1st and Yamhill)
Paddy’s promises good times while their new 144-inch HD projector brings the Tour action as up-close as you can get without booking a ticket to France.
Oblique Coffee Roasters (SE 30th Pl and Stark)
John Chandler, owner of Oblique Coffee Roasters says he’ll be showing every stage live and will replay them throughout the day. Oblique gets bonus Tour spirit points because the shop’s 1891 Victorian storefront is painted Bianchi celeste.
The Globe Bar and Cafe (2045 SE Belmont)*
The Globe just opened a few days ago, but they’ve already got their priorities straight. They’re open at 6:00am at 8:00 am each morning of the Tour for your viewing delight. Who knows, you might get lucky and run into the famous cycling writer/photographer/journalist Heidi Swift, who’s been known to frequent this joint.
I know there are many more viewing locations than the ones listed above. If you’ve found a fun place to watch, chime in below. I know there are also a lot of Internet/TV/phone viewing options as well, so advice and recommendations about those would be helpful too. Vive le Tour!