Sponsor Caravan

An hour before the cyclists arrive, the sponsor caravan comes rolling by the spectators. It's a 20 km-long procession with 200 brightly decorated vehicles (see some examples above), with 43 brands represented on average each year they distribute 15 million gifts (see our take from the 2005 TdF above). The whole procession lasts about 45 minutes. Depending where you happen to be located on the route determines how much stuff they distribute -- mountains are better than flats, but you also have more people to compete with for the prized handouts.