La Roue Tourangelle 2024

From time to time big events pass through our little villages and La Roue Tourangelle arrived in our closest village, La Celle-Geunand, at the weekend (24th March 2024). It's a major, professional cycling race and covers 200 kms in just 4 hours. Cycling is a big and popular sport in France.
Each village on the route makes a special effort to decorate, with cycling themes, and to mark the safest routes through the streets with signs and barriers all of which are erected in the days preceding the event.
The day before the big race, the route is open to the public, so hundreds of would-be cycling champions take to the roads.

On the day of the big race, the route is for professionals only. Prior to the riders passing through, all sorts of official vehicles pass through the villages clearing the route and warning everyone that the cyclists are on the way.
Then, suddenly, the circus arrives. The leaders pass through the quiet village streets (normal max speed 30kms/hr) at 40+ Kms/hr. There are just a few riders out in front, but they are, judging by the crowd's response, the favorites.
They are followed by vehicles with spare cycles and tires on the roof.
Suddenly, as if from nowhere, the main body of riders burst into the expecting village. As many as 90 riders, all closely grouped together, riding at, what seems like a huge speed, straight through the center of the village. Everyone cheers and everyone is surprised by the strong movement of air in front of the group. A bit like a metro train arriving in the station.

To see a more annimated version of this presentation click on the play button, or visit our YouTube Channel.Then, just as suddenly, they are gone! Just another wave of small vans and cars with more spare bikes and tires. Followed by a couple of Gendarmes on motor bikes. That's all folks – but not quite.
The last vehicles to appear are white vans which collect the hand-held signs and the Gillet Juanes used by the local officials. One man jumps from the van with a pair of pliers and cuts the plastic ties from the sign on a lamp-post just outside the village bar, and off they go too.
All is quiet again and people drfit away. All finished for our village in 15 minutes, but the next village, the next town, the final city are all waiting patiently and expentantly, whilst the villages left behind quietly clear the decorations and normal life returns as if nothing had happened.