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WATCH: Liverpool fans travel to France by dinghy after flights cancelled

The self-styled 'dinghy dozen' braved the waves in a desperate attempt to avoid missing the Champions League final.

Published: 28 May 2022 12:39 CEST

Liverpool FC's supporters dance and drink near a bar in Paris on May 27, 2022, on the eve of the Champions League football match final between Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Tens of thousands of Liverpool fans have arrived in Paris for the Champions League final. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)

13 Liverpool fans arrived safely in Paris after crossing the English Channel by dinghy.

After some of the group had their flight cancelled, the supporters gathered in Jersey where mega-fan Paddy O’Toole is based.

“We felt sorry for the young lads so we had to do something,” he told The Liverpool Echo.

A group of Liverpool fans made their way to Paris on a dingy 👏 pic.twitter.com/5fjQJcvPNV

— Watch LFC (@Watch_LFC) May 27, 2022

The group decided to commission a Redbay Stormforce 950 – a motor-powered dinghy – to speed across the waves.

In a video of the crossing, one passenger can be heard shouting: “We must be off our f*******g heads”.

“We saw a few dolphins on the way and got the train to Rennes and then to Paris. A few more of are mates from Liverpool who live in Jersey heard we were going and joined on. We haven’t got a ticket between us,” said Paddy.

Boss way to get to Paris @LFC pic.twitter.com/1YKGFRelDx

— Paddy OToole (@morefootie) May 27, 2022

Another member of the group later a picture on Facebook showing him and man called ‘Pegs’ enjoying pints in a Paris pub.

Some 60,000 Liverpool fans are expected in Paris for the final against Real Madrid.

READ MORE What Liverpool fans coming to Paris for the Champions League final need to know

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How to follow the Tour de France on French TV (and why you might want to)

For the first time since the Tour de France began in 1903, it will not finish in or near Paris, but instead in Nice, in order to accommodate the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The event will also start earlier than usual, with the grand départ scheduled for June 29th. Cyclists will cross the finish line on July 21st.

This 2024 race will begin in Florence, Italy.

According to the race website, there “will be eight flat stages, as well as four hilly, seven mountain (with four summit finishes at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000, Col de la Couillole), two time trials and two rest days.”

This year, participants will climb a total vertical gain of 52,230 meters, crossing a distance of 3,492 kilometres.

Credit: Tour de France official website

How can I watch the race?

If you are in France, then you can enjoy rolling coverage on the free-to-view TV channels of France 2 and France 3.

It’s not just footage of men on bikes, the TV coverage is famed for its highlighting of the more unknown corners of France so it’s a great way to discover new places to visit.

For those outside of France, you can go onto the official race website (HERE) to see a listing of all ‘live’ broadcasters in several different countries.

As much of the race takes place during the day when many are working, you can enjoy recaps each evening at 8.45pm on France 3 via the ‘TLS Tour de France’ show. This looks back on the best moments of the day, giving a summary of that stage and the results, as well as reactions from teams and rider, plus analysis from experts.

Later on, the Tour de France Femmes, scheduled for August 12th to 18th, will also be broadcast on the France Télévisions website. This is free to watch but you will first need to create an account on the site, you will need a 5-digit French postal code to make an account (eg 75004 if you’re in central Paris).

Why watch the Tour de France?

Each year between 10 and 12 million spectators watch the race widely considered to be the most famous and most difficult cycle challenge, according to Le Figaro.

The Tour de France route changes every year, so viewers not only witness the impressive athleticism of participants, but they also explore France’s different regions. The towns that stage the départs (start of each race day) usually put on a festival often incorporating local traditions, food and drink (for the spectators, not the cyclists).

This year, the Tour de France will go through beautiful landscapes in the Occitanie region, as well as the Alps and across central France.

The race has a fascinating history, and every now and again there are spectacular crashes which will keep you wincing.

There is also a hit Netflix docu-series called ‘Tour de France: Unchained’ that may be a good place to start for the uninitiated.

French vocab

Le maillot jaune – yellow jersey (worn by the winner)

Le grand départ – the race start

Le départ – the start of each stage

Le peloton – the group of cyclises (literally translated as ‘the pack’)

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