Final Dispatch From the Tour: Bikes, Fans, and the French Vibe

Patrick Redford’s final Tour de France dispatch sums up three weeks of coverage by noting the race’s scale (about 1,150 bikes), contrasting team attitudes toward fans, Decathlon’s aggressive publicity and a top photographer hire, quirky crowd encounters, and a quick tour of towns, meals, and merch, ending with a vacation break after the whirlwind.