Dispatches from the Tour de France

02.08.2019

Spectators on the grassy verges of a winding mountain road in the Pyrenees, waiting for the Tour de France to pass

Fred from our Manchester shop recently took a trip over to the Pyrenees to chase down the Tour de France. Luckily for us, he took his camera...

From a young age, I have always been into bikes, and in recent years I have swapped my beloved BMX for a road bike… and lycra. Much to my dad’s joy, I have been converted.

So, this year whilst on a holiday in Southern France, I decided to catch a glimpse of the most prestigious cycling race in the world, the Tour de France.

Shortly after the heavens opened and gave everyone a good soaking, the multi-coloured, meandering circus that is the Tour rolled into the sleepy town of Foix. First up was the tour caravan; a wild 45-minute string of sponsored vehicles hurling products at you, mainly Haribo and key rings.

Then it was time for the main event as team cars and motorbikes started to fly up the mountain with the thumping sound of the helicopter above, the riders then started to scurry up the mountain at an incredible pace.

Armed with my camera I tried to capture some shots of this prestigious event, including the surreal decorated sponsorship vehicles, some mad Colombian fans and of course, the really quick lads on the bikes.

It helps that cycling is dead easy to photograph, with so much emotion and colour. The scenery was also ace - chateaus, green mountains, windy roads, all that good French stuff.

My verdict? Mint, but also mental.

Spectators relaxing on a grassy hillside, several in white tops with red polka dots, wooded hills behind

Fans fixing yellow, blue and red flags to a grassy bank, one reading Go Rigo Go, as spectators watch from the top

Colombian fans by the road in yellow shirts and a tall Colombia hat, with a flag, others in polka dots, wooded hills behind

A Le Gaulois caravan van with a giant rooster head passes crowds and Krys banners in Foix, a hilltop castle beyond

A purple Haribo caravan car topped with giant marshmallows on a skewer over flames, as hands reach up from the crowd

An orange Haribo Croco caravan car topped with a giant green cartoon crocodile, as hands reach up from the crowd

A rider climbs a wet road past cheering fans and orange foam hands, one fan running alongside, a camera motorbike behind

Fans hold up an orange Continental foam hand as a helicopter hovers over the crowd and misty mountains

A Movistar team car with blue bikes on its roof rack passes fans in polka dots and a yellow, blue and red flag

A pink EF Education First team car with bikes on the roof passes fans in polka dot tops on the verge

A lone rider climbs a road lined with crowds of fans, many in polka dot tops, below a wooded hillside

Spectators on a bank under a grey sky, a red and yellow striped flag above them and a Go Rigo Go banner below

A group of riders rounds a wet bend past fans on a bank draped with a yellow, blue and red flag, mountains behind

Riders in white team kit and yellow helmets pass close by on a climb, spectators and misty mountains behind

The bunch climbs past fans, riders in white Arkea, orange CCC and turquoise kit among them, trees and mountains behind

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