It all started at the end of April. New roads, new flower beds, flags hung up, and a general facelift for the area.

People were talking about it everywhere. All trying to get the day off work, the excitement in our village was enormous. The ‘Tour De France’ was coming to town!

On the 12th July, everything was ready. People were out at 8am in the morning, ready to film whatever would go past.

I was in the kitchen having breakfast when I heard horns beeping and sirens outside. My sister, brother and friends were the first to get freebies from the ‘Caravanes Publicitaires’.

The ‘Caravanes Publicitaires’ have been part of the ‘Tour De France’ for many years. They are vans, trucks, motorbikes and cars who sponsor the ‘Tour De France’. They pass a few hours before the bikes, and throw out free samples, such as key rings, hats, cheese, inflatables, magazines, pens, vouchers etc.

Police and Gendarme helicopters constantly follow the cyclists from start to finish, to protect them. One Gendarme happened to be passing by our back door, and ended up spending a good half an hour drinking coffee and telling us what a great place Ireland is, having spent his holiday there last year.

After his visit, I went back outside, to see what was happening. I was trying hard to film the ‘Caravanes Publicitaires’, but things kept coming out of the cars, so I didn’t get to film much of that!

Two hours after the first ‘Caravanes’, the scooters and motorbikes started to come. Press, Gendarmerie, Television Cameras, Radio– everyone was there. I was really starting to get excited. The ‘Tour De France’ going through our village!

The ‘Maillot Jaune’, yellow jersey, (Floyd Landis, pictured above) finally passed us by at great speed. He was about 10 seconds ahead. Cameras and Press followed, then came the main group, and they all passed in less than 26 seconds. Their speed was incredible, and even though it was a downhill road, they were going flat out.

And that was it. The ‘Tour De France’ had been and gone, in 26 seconds. So many people, so many cameras, so much excitement, for 26 seconds of pure racing.

After that, we went inside and rewound the video tape that we had prepared for the occasion, to tape from the tele, and discovered that they’d by-passed this part of the village!

Floyd Landis the winner of the ‘Tour De France’ was subsequently disqualified after failing two drugs tests.

Left: The Gendarme with Saoirse’s brother.