July, 2012, Annonay

Spectators have been waiting all day in the baking heat in the town of Annonay in the Ardèche, lining the route the cyclists will take when they wind through the picturesque centre of town before lining up a sprint finish on the outskirts near a nondescript industrial estate. Thecaravane passes an hour before the riders: the beautiful and bored manning the floats throw keyrings, newspapers, flags or canvas hats into the crowd, much to the excitement of the children, the smattering of tourists and the elderly locals installed in deckchairs who have wisely brought shopping bags to collect the flotsam and jetsam of the Tour. Perennial favourites raise a cheer: the red-and-white chequered hats of saucisson-makers Cochonou and the PMU (betting company) float featuring an acrobatic woman straddling a larger-than-life plastic horse. Later, helicopters – six can be counted at various heights and angles – are the first herald of the cyclists’ approach. The expectant hush that descends on the waiting crowds is broken by the sirens of the police motorbikes and the official Tour cars. The wait is so long that the passing of theéchappée seems absurdly hasty, thepeloton only two minutes later is a business-like and orderly procession in comparison, with only the best known of the stragglers recognisable in the rush of bodies and bicycles. The 500-metre walk to the finish line is hindered by like-minded spectators and all are too late for the presentation ceremony. Ten minutes after the end of the race and the formalities are already complete – the team buses are being packed up, yellow jersey incumbent Bradley Wiggins says a few words for the global media and technicians start to unravel the cables and wires running from tents to trucks. Another hour and the field is deserted, the town surrounded by trucks and cars all trying to beat each other to the main road and then back over the bridges across the Rhône. A spectator is left with a copy ofAujourd’hui en France, a keyring from theGendarmerie and the suspicion that they’ll have to watch the highlights on TV to see what really happened.