Debate a Bubble - Nothing to do with champagne

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Posted: 15 Jul 2010 12:15 PM PDT

Just for a change here's a post that has nothing to do with champagne - well, almost nothing - it took place in Champagne.

Last week a couple of friends came over to stay and one of them is a keen cycling fan so he persuaded me to go and watch the Tour De France with him.

It so happens that it was passing through Reims and Epernay this year so it was only a 30 minute drive away and off we went. Actually we went beyond Epernay to a village called Orbaye l'Abbaye to avoid the crowds and for a better view because there's a hill on the exit to the village and the riders would inevitably be going slower (a little) on this climb.

I had no idea what to expect, but I had a lot of fun and I think I could get quite interested in following the TdF in future. Got some good pictures too including one of Lance Armstrong - more by luck than judgement I have to say.

Before the riders come along there's a sort of procession by all the companies sponsoring the Tour. It's called 'La Caravanne'

They all send all sorts of weirdly decorated cars along, playing music, throwing out freebies and even spraying the crowd with water - that was the Vittel float. Here are a few photos to give you a feel of what it was like