Tour de France 2013

We are just back so I am backblipping this. We drove over 2000 miles to experience Le Tour and it was worth every inch of it.

The plan was hatched earlier in the year and once a cottage was rented in the are of a few stages it was a tense wait for the exact (road by road, minute by minute) route to be published.

Once it was I hopped on to Google maps and street view to select some mid stage road-side locations which we could get to by the back roads in the hope of getting close to action.

This was the result - or one of them as we took a good few pictures.

The remote crossroads we picked was heaving with probably nearly a thousand people lining the scorching (34 degrees) tarmac. Entertainment was going on, barbequeues - amazing atmosphere.

The caravan elevated the crowd to hysteria as everyone cheered for freebies as it tore (absolutely flying) past blaring horns and music.

Another two hour gap and then eventually in the distance (I had read to keep an eye out) I spotted five helicopters buzzing around each other in a tight circle which was in itself amazing to see.

The crowd started to mental again and narrow in creating a funnel which made it difficult to see.

The cars came, motorcycles, and all of a sudden about twebty feet away five cyclists appeared in front of us - the lead group heading for the intermediate sprint.

Woosh - they were gone!

Then another few mintes another single copter and the pelton came upon us just as quick.

Right beside us on our side of the road we had to jump back to avoid getting clocked.

This is part of the peleton - Simon Gechke at the front followed by Team Sky and Chris Froome in the yellow jersey.

Can't wait for next year - big plans.

Ps: We were on the telly too complete with St. Andrew's flag.