Tour de France 2025.

 

With a group of friends, Pauline and I headed just 15 minutes over the border to a small spot just outside Coussay-les-Bois to catch a glimpse of this year’s Tour de France. I’d carefully selected a quiet little junction off the D725 on a very minor road, convinced we’d have it all to ourselves, the perfect place to see the peloton fly by up close.

How wrong was I ?

 

I had of course completely forgot about the sheer draw of this event. I’d forgotten just how deeply the Tour is woven into the fabric of French life and how many people, both locals and visitors, make it a tradition to come out, set up early, and soak in the atmosphere. By the time we arrived, the roadside was already buzzing. Campers, picnic blankets, folding chairs, kids with flags...the whole scene had a festival feel. Fortunately we had arrived early enough to bag a good roadside spot to set up,even if it meant walking through some scratchy undergrowth to get there.Our spot gave us a clear view of the road ahead and we settled in with the warm hum of shared anticipation. 

It was far from the quiet, secluded experience we'd imagined but  it proved to be a good enough choice even if we had to negotiate a small ditch to get actual roadside.

As the time passed, the atmosphere increased as the sun beat down from a near cloudless sky.  Then, in the distance you could hear the crowd roar as they caught sight of the caravane publicitaire as it roared into view, blaring music from oversized speakers and hurling trinkets into outstretched hands. It was part parade, part chaos with occasional dangerous things like cans of Orangina hurling towards us.

The family above had the clever idea of placing a target (back black above) which proved to be a real winner as many cars threw their trinkets directly at it! 

With a few hours still to go before the race arrived, we turned our attention to lunch, a proper picnic, with contributions from everyone.  We drank a toast to the day and the race (in true Tour fashion) with sparkling Vouvray followed by our picnic,one of those simple times made better by the anticipation in the air.

With the first low whir of helicopters a ripple of excitement swept through the crowd and moments later,that telltale shift in sound. The cheers rose in pitch, a wave rolling down the road. There had been a two-rider breakaway 5 mins (by Mathieu van der Poel and Jonas Rickaert apparently) which proved to be a wee bit of an anti-climax , but as soon as the peloton arrived the feeling was lifted. 

I took up a position on the roadside which allowed for some good (if too close) closeup shots.I captured the yellow jersey of Tadej Pogacar close up...he went on to keep his pole position after yesterday's race stage which was won by Tim Merlier.

The whoosh of tyres, bicycles slicing through the air and in a breath, they were gone!

You might be wondering why there was so much E. Leclrec sponsorship, they had parked a van opposite us and were handing out free T-shirts to anyone who wanted them.