Reims

After a debacle on our part sent us in the wrong direction, to Montargis a day early, we now find ourselves in Reims. Here is our first tour viewing day, something totally new to me, Travis has been to the tour in the past. The scene is wild. It took us a while to navigate around blocked roads and get within walking distance of the finish. Loaded up with camera gear we head off. The last kilometer of the course is barricaded so we are trapped on one side of the road, the only way around is to walk behind all the event and team support vehicles so, we do it. Everything is so new and crazy here that I don't really care how far we have to go. The greatest part of the experience is watching all the people. i can't believe so many fans come out to watch cycling. We wouldn't get 10% of this in the US.

After picking up some tour merchandise we head over to watch the megatron, a huge TV positioned above the course to see where the riders were and when to expect them through the finish. First to arrive is the caravan. This is a parade of marketing madness. All the tour sponsors have badged up cars and trucks and made funny floats shaped like the product they are peddling. Pretty women throw a variety of marketing merchandise and product samples. Everything from hats, pens, bottle openers, mini cakes and sausage samples. Its a feeding frenzy! Of course I pick up a few things, have to get tour junk! Besides, the food sample come in handy for out on the road.

When the riders finally come through, it's nothing but a blur of bikes. I am trying to take photos. Travis is propped up in a window behind me with the big honking 300mm lens and I am trying to shoot through the crowd. Suddenly it's all over. Wow. Amazing! I came all this way for this flash of color zipping by. After a nice espresso we are heading out of town with new plans for tomorrow's stage, a smaller town closer to the mid point, less people and better opportunity to see the riders.