Le Tour hits Cambridge

Monday saw Stage 3 of this year's Tour de France starting in Cambridge.  I heeded the advice on the Cambridge council website and made my way in by bus fairly early.  Not quite as early as I had planned though, so I was expecting road chaos and crowds already lining the course.  However, whether because of all those warnings of travel doom; or because it was the start of the working week; or because people had chosen spots outside Cambridge; but the town was not as busy as I was expecting.  At 8.30, I was able to stake a great spot right on the kerb, near the Round Church, on the outside of the bend that the cyclists would have to take from Bridge Street around into Trinity Street.  It was then just a matter of waiting.

I passed the time having a pleasant chat with another photographer who was stood next to me and 'sniping' individuals in the crowd  with a long lens.  Behind us the numbers started to build, and by 9.30am had filled both sides of the street.

The long Tour procession started at 10.15 with a vanguard of race sponsors touting their wares.  I  found these too big and brash against Cambridge's narrow streets to get any interesting shots.  Some time later came the lead vehicles of the race teams, together with police and Gendarme motorcycles.  From reading the blogs of other CCC members, Dave Brailsford spotting seems to have been a past-time.  For my part, all I managed was one arm sticking out of his Team Sky Jaguar.

At about 12.15 the cyclists finally made their appearance.  Despite the fact that they were parading and not racing, they still passed quickly in a riot of multi-coloured lycra.  In little more than a minute they were gone, to be followed by their support vehicles.   By 12.30 it was all over.  I took a few last shots amongst the dispersing crowd and headed for lunch and a pint.