THE FAN FACTOR

Part of the fun of watching the Tour de France is seeing the hundreds of thousands of folks who turn out along the roadsides to cheer on the riders each day. I suppose this, along with the beauty of the French landscapes and the intensity of the cycling competition, is what makes the Tour de France so interesting to me. It is a feast for the eyes.

Two million Britons cheered the riders during the Prologue in London. But the villages, towns, countrysides, and mountain passes are packed with people all along the way.


Many of them wear their favorite rider or team's colors. Or their nation's flag. They dress up in costumes. Or dress down to almost nothing.







They ride their bikes up the mountain climbs a day ahead of time. They camp out. They cook out. They have a good time.



They're there in the hot sun and cold rain. Enduring the heat, waiting through the downpour. Searing or soaking.

Especially on the mountain passes, when the riders are tired and struggling and slow, the fans press in close and do their best to inspire. Some run alongside, dangerously close.

And all for a few moments, a few glimpses, a brief engagement with glory.





I'd like to do this sometime in the next twenty years or so. Just be there on the roadside for the weeks of the Tour de France. Of course, I'll take my bike.

All these photos -- and all photos on this blog -- are accessed from Yahoo! Sports Photos and are by the photographers of AFP/Getty