I am amazed at the team aspect of bicycle racing. Here, you can see one of the racers turn to talk to a teammate. You can also see the speaker in his ear that allows him to hear their team director who coaches them along the way:
Another amazing thing is how close spectators are to the race. These cyclists are full-speed ahead and the red/white/blue yahoo just jumped right in front of them. It's surprising there aren't more spectator/cyclist accidents.
And it's not just bodies. RVs are allowed to park right on the race course. It does make for a great seats, but coming from the US where everything seems to be roped off it seems mighty odd.
Here's a great shot of the switchbacks on a climb. It's easier to see the road because of the parked RVs on the tour route:
Here's the pack just as they're leaving the starting line:
Here they are mid-race. It's a shame the cyclists don't get to enjoy the stunning scenery. On the other hand, it's great that the spectators who have waited hours to for these few seconds of racing get to wait in such beautiful surroundings:
And here's the crowd at the finish line. Even in France they're wise enough to cordon off the last few kilometers to make sure there are no spectator/cyclist collisions:
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