It's worth actually witnessing it at least once in your life - total lunacy. A few years ago we realised the Tour was going near our holiday cottage in Brittany so we nipped down to a local sport bar well in advance. We ordered omelettes frites and beer and settled down to watch.

First the road's closed and the gendarmerie drop an armed flic off about every half mile. Some time later the officials & press arrive - in helicopters (I kid you not). They took over the remainder of the tables outside the bar, looked at our food and ordered omelettes, frites & beer x24....!

Then there's about 20 minutes worth of sponsors, advertisers etc storming past - pink 2CVs, vans with people hurling samples out of the rear, enormous coffee pots etc on lorry chassis, you name it.

By this time everybody's going spare. Next come the support cars, loaded with spare wheels etc - then the TV mob - first cars, then dirty great BMW bikes with madmen toting video cameras perched on the pillions.

The actual Tour itself is past in a blur in about half a minute! I managed to grab about 6 shots and they were gone. We had absolutely no idea who was in the lead or anything. 2 minutes later the officials and the press were back in the helicopters and off. 15 minutes later the road was reopened. The locals went back to playing table football.

Much more fun than an England game - vive la France!