Canadians are crazy for hockey.  I can’t say that I’m a devoted hockey enthusiast, but when it’s Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, I’m a hockey fanatic.

Things are pretty similar here in France, but with a different sport.  The country is passionate about cycling.  Especially here, where we’re nestled at the foot of the Pyrénées mountains, where the men are separated from the boys in the Tour de France.  I don’t faithfully follow ‘le Tour’, it’s a bit long for me.  I once heard it described as the only sporting event where the competitors need a haircut half way through.  But when the Tour comes to town, I catch the fever and become the biggest cycling fan there is.

We’re lucky enough to live at the spot where the Tour usually gets a rest day.  That means we get 3 days of Tour excitement in the city: the arrival, the day off, and the departure.

Here’s an insider’s look at what the Tour de France is like, when you’re watching it from the end of your street.

When it’s rest day, it’s the fans opportunity to get up close and personal with the cyclists.  Most hotels in the city have their parking lots taken over by giants trucks filled with bikes and equipment.  During the day off you’ll find bikes being worked on, promotional items being passed out, and cyclists signing autographs.  Don’t expect to get anywhere in the city quickly, because there’s a lot more people on the road, including packs of bikes taking over the street.  I found myself stuck behind 4 of these trucks at the car wash but like I said, I wasn’t going anywhere quickly today, so I didn’t mind.  We liked the excitement.On race day you need to plan your spot ahead of time, because if you’re driving to get there, roads are closed far in advance.  Luckily, we were watching from a friends house where we could have pre and post race activities.

Neighbours young and old line the street and share in the excitement of the festivities.You might be thinking that we just wait for the bikes to fly by and that’s all there is to it, but there’s much more excitement than that before the cyclists even arrive.

When you see the gendarmerie leading the way, you’ll know the caravan is on it’s way.What follows is the funniest thing I’ve seen in France.  I guess it’s the closest thing to a North American parade that we get here.  There’s giant sponsorship vehicles blasting music and throwing out treats to everyone on the side of the road.Our kids filled their bags with hats, t-shirts, juice bottles, magnets, madelienes, saucisson, and of course, it wouldn’t be a parade in France with out a giant baguette truck in the line up. In past years the riders have passed just a few minutes later, but this year there was a 1.5 hour gap between the flying cured meats and the peloton.  Luckily we had a friend’s house just a few steps away where we ate, drank and cooled off in the pool.

We made our way back in time to see the motos leading the pack, letting us know that the the peloton was on its way!When you see the escort vehicles don’t blink because these guys are lightening fast on their bikes and it’ll be over before you know it!

I think it’s fair to say it will be the most cyclists you ever see in one place!And just like that, they’re gone!

Followed by car after car, carrying spare bikes.When the cheering has died down, we briefly chat up the neighbours and everyone wishes each other bon appétit and heads back to their homes for lunch.Now of course this isn’t the only way to watch the tour.  There’s a lot more fanfare and far larger crowds if you gather at the start and finish lines in town, but you also might be stuck behind the barriers 4 people deep.  You don’t get the same up close and personal experience, so I prefer the side of the road.

Thanks for joining us on a tour of the Tour de France.