Tour De France London

After a little run across Hyde Park, I managed to find a large throng of fellow cycling supporters all waiting patiently for the Tour De France to arrive in town. I got there just in time to stand about 3 deep behind the barriers.

Would have been worth getting there earlier to stand on the barrier itself but that would probably have been a few more hours standing on exactly the same foot of real estate people watching.

I didn’t have to wait long for the whole Tour De France caravan to come along, blaring loud music and driving all sorts of vehicles adorned with various commercial objects from fruit shoots to tea bags. Various pointless objects where tossed into the waiting crowds outstretched hands as they eagerly grabbed at anything thrown their way. Only to look disappointingly at their new prise with suspicion and disdain.

None the less, the number of people supporting the arrival of the Tour De France outside Buckingham Palace was nothing short of impressive. Watching the Tour on the ITV highlights later showed the whole route was littered with millions of fans lining the route. It is the exact support the Tour De France wants and needs and will help with bringing the Tour back to the UK in future years.

To think that people will stand in the same spot for hours and then the cyclists race past in seconds and it is all over. They get a mere glimpse of their heros and thats it, they head home or back to the office or back to school. The atmosphere however and even the glimpse of the super fit, tanned, lycra clad cyclists is sufficient to make you feel part of the massive Tour De France and is a chance in a life time that can’t be missed.