If you are watching The Tour de France on TV, you will not be seeing what is a major part of every day's stage; the Caravane.
Before each days race goes by, there is a huge parade of publicity vehicles. These represent everything from Sweet manufacturers, to Olive oil makers, Insurance Co's, Car makers, and almost everything else you could think of. As their publicity vehicles go by, they throw out free samples of their wares to the roadside public. You come home with so many hats, key rings, and assorted sachets, that you have plenty for years to come. It is Huge Fun.
Then, of course, the real purpose of the day arrives and it's all over in a flash as they speed by, and you return home with all your goodies. This video is a bit long, but it'll give you an idea of what goes on. If you stand roadside, you see all the razzmatazz for anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes, then just a couple seconds of racing. If you watch on TV you can see the whole day's stage, but no razzmatazz. The choice is yours!
I was hoping for free goodies when I went to watch the tour of England when it went through Suffolk many years ago..........nothing
ReplyDeleteThat's the UK for you!!
DeleteYou need to come to France; but be grateful that no-one threw a jar of Marmite at you!
DeleteI got my goodies when I saw the stage that started in Cambridge a few years ago. It was great fun.
DeleteI am in Ely station btw.
DeleteI once spent quite some while in and out of Ely station. Off to London town?
DeleteYes. I did mention it on the morning Tour post!
DeleteFunnily enough my son sent me this film earlier this morning - or one very like it. He has been a Tour fanatic for many years now and never misses anything to do with it. This year for the first time I have watched and really enjoyed it all.
ReplyDeleteI've been a fan for years, and have seen it pass by on a few occasions. The Caravane is always fun.
DeleteI saw the Tour de France "caravane" when it passed through High Bradfield, Yorkshire in 2014. No "goodies" were cast out near the place where we were standing. Frankly, I was turned off by the commercialisation of the event. It was the cyclists we had come to see and cheer on.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why they didn't hand out any freebies? When they go by here they can't give you enough!
DeleteThere would be no Tour without commercial sponsorship.
DeleteMy sister tells me to watch the highlight package. It sounds good. After returning from an overseas holiday some years ago with a very upset body clock, I so enjoyed watching Le Tour late at night and into the early hours.
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit like watching paint dry if you watch the whole days' racing. Far better just to watch the good bits!
DeleteI remember when the tour started in Kent in the late 1990's. It went past our house. Children were given the day off school and we had friends for a bbq on the front lawn. They were handing out lots of freebies but the cyclists went past in seconds as you say. I don't remember the name of the cyclist but there was one who came from near the Ashdown forest where we lived and they let him lead the race for that part. A day to remember.
ReplyDeleteThat seems to be a tradition that has been abandoned. A rider going through his own village/town was always allowed to go ahead, and stop to say hello to his family as he went by. I haven't seen that done for many years. I know the Ashdown Forest area well. My wife came from Crowborough, and 'The Hatch' at Coleman's Hatch is one of my all time favourite pubs!
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