Never has so much Lycra assembled in one place. When the Tour de France came to Kent yesterday, the Lycra hordes came too.
The French media had been scathing about England’s ability to host the race but the crowds still turned out to watch. About one million people attended the prologue time-trial event through London on Saturday, and the roadsides were again heaving as the peloton started its three-week journey south to Canterbury and on through France today. Race organisers estimated that there were one million spectators in London yesterday and two million through Kent.
The crowds showed they could do the Tour the French way too. They camped out early, they painted the names of their favourite riders on the road – although the “Come on Henman” outside Brenchley was a little wide of the mark – and they waved the garish free inflatables the Tour sponsors were handing out. And yes, many wore Lycra.
Road cycling in Britain is like an enormous secret society, but the Tour seemed to send out a clarion call to all. At the stroke of midnight on Saturday, four young Yorkshiremen, Jamie Sindall, Jake Barker, Isaac Cameron and Charlie Muff, left home in Leeds and drove south. The four 18-year-olds arrived in the village of Goudhurst at 5am, half an hour before trucks arrived with the fencing and advertising hoardings. Once there, the quartet were able to stake their claim to the best spot, atop a hill where nine hours later the village would build a fanatical wave of applause as the riders wormed their way towards them.
Back in Leeds, their mates thought they were plain mad, but as Goudhurst came to life yesterday morning, the four friends found themselves in the company of like-minded souls.
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At 11.35am Christian Prudhomme made an announcement on Race Radio, the news service that goes out to the enormous convoy of vehicles following the Tour. He told all drivers to be particularly vigilant because there were so many punters at the roadside.
This was clearly necessary in Goudhurst. The Tour was the biggest thing to happen to the village in 50 years. At least that was the view of John Maxwell-Jones, the community’s unofficial historian. Having a world-fa-mous sports event trundling past front doors like this certainly brought Kent to attention, lending the winding road to Canterbury the air of an extended village fête with bunting and barbecues at the roadside. And after the peloton had passed through Goudhurst, the village removed to the field behind the church where the local boy scouts and PTA had organised refreshments, a bouncy castle and races.
All of this seemed to answer the French slur that the English did not have the credentials to host their darling cycling marathon. French misgivings may have been understandable. The Goudhurst spectators recalled last year’s Tour of Britain race, which also passed their doors. They said that the crowds were almost nonexistent. The organisation of this year’s Tour could not be faulted. Despite recent security scares spectators were able, as is traditional in France, to mingle with the riders. At the prologue, in London, carnival-float loud-speakers hailed in French, there were piles of croissants and saucissons, gendarmes patrolled alongside British counterparts, and some spectators even said the coffee was drinkable.
Paul and Nico Salomon had brought their children, Hannah, 11, and Alex, 8, to Trafalgar Square to give them a flavour of the event. “It’s wonderful to have such an international event and to hear all this French spoken,” Mr Salomon said.
Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, who had closed off large swaths of Central London to motorised traffic, looked delighted as he strutted around the Mall hugging French counterparts. He hoped that the event had “set out a stall for a cycling renaissance”. He said: “I hope this incredible event will encourage many more Londoners to get on their bikes and enjoy the health and environmental benefits of cycling in the capital.”
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An extra 11,000 parking spaces of cycles were provided in Central London and thousands took advantage of the empty roads, where normally a cycle run is a dally with death.
Security was paramount, and a total of 6,300 police officers, aided by 45 French officers, were on duty, making sure there were no disruptions for the 189 riders and their 6,000-strong entourage, as well as the 2,000-vehicle calvalcade.
There are signs that the British are beginning to have a deep understanding of this event. When the Tour last came to Britain, observers noted the number of novice punters who assembled at the bottom of hills. French spectators conversely go for the climbs because the cyclists are slower, making the spectacle last longer. Yesterday the British crowds aimed for the climbs too.
The lingo
Peloton The French name for the main pack, herd or bunch of riders
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Bonk What happens when a rider doesn’t eat or drink enough and faints
Honking Rising out of the saddle while climbing a steep gradient
Lanterne Rouge The booby prize that goes to the last man in the race
Ride a train A line of riders who carry their sprinter in their slipstream, peeling off one after another until the sprinter is able to speed off towards the finish line
Domestique Another word for servant – someone prepared to sacrifice their chances of success to help a stronger teammate win the race if the opportunity arises.