I know the Tour is over, but humor me for one final Tour posting for 2013!
The Tour is essentially massive logistical nightmare requiring hundreds of vehicles, hundreds of cyclists, and hundreds of staff and crew to set up and break down the course every day in a different location. While I followed the Tour, I witnessed much of the set up process at the finish line.
A forklift carries the announcer's box into place.
It takes several hours to get the Škoda logos painted on the ground. First, any white paint on the road is painted over with black before the crew measures to determine where to place the logo.
A border is put up and individual letters are placed inside.
They spray paint over the stencil letters.
To dry the paint faster, they use a propane tank to blast the wet paint. I've stood a couple of feet away from its heat and it is ridiculously hot. It's a wonder these guys still have any leg hair.
When the paint is dry, the stencil letters are carefully removed. The finished product.
The finish line is several adhesive strips meticulously placed on the ground.
Securing the cables inside the finish line arch.
Every surface is wiped down.
Stats
# of stages I saw: 17
# of starts: 7
# of mountains: 1
# of finishes: 9
# of hats the caravan gave me: 30+
# of autographs from cyclists: 51
# of photos with cyclists: 30
What made the Tour so incredibly special for me was not the cyclists (although I did enjoy them!), but the people. I made new friends from Europe and North America who were great company and I experienced a lifetime's worth of kindness and generosity from the people working the starts and finishes who recognized me as the Canadian fan who showed up day in, day out. You've given me an unexpected number of thrilling memories that I will always carry with me. Thank you.
4 Responses to Tour de France: set up, stats, & thanks