Paris Finale - 25 July

C'est tout. Le Tour 2010 est fini!

Contador is the winner of the yellow jersey, Pettachi the green jersey, Schleck the white jersey and Anthony Charteau the polka dot jersey. And Cavendish showed what an incomparable turn of speed he has to win the final dash to the line and today's stage.

We awoke in Bordeaux at 5.30am this morning to catch the TGV fast train to Paris. After bundling bikes and luggage on board the train (we had the whole train chartered for 380 tour company guests), we departed on time and arrived in Paris 3.5 hours later. Our Garmin tracking devices measured the top speed of the train at around 260km/h.

From the train, we jumped another bus to the Champs Elysees and went our separate ways for the day to watch the final stage. I had a grandstand seat 150m from the finish line and opposite a big video screen.

The build-up to the rider's arrival was slow but lively. People gathered all along the boulevard, sampling the paraphenalia and eats stalls and waiting eagerly for things to start happening. Others hung from balconies overlooking the course.

By 2.30pm the caravan arrived for one last time - a pulsating, blaring, cavorting snake of floats, cars and trucks all selling their sponsor's message. Then, the riders pushed off for the 103km ride from Longjameau, very slowly at first and gradually picking up speed as they approached the city. This was a day when the riders start happy and relaxed, talking to and congratulating each other, respecting the placings as is and saving one last burst for an 8-lap 45km charge around the Champs Elysees circuit.

When they finally rode into the Paris centre around 4pm, the crowd had swelled and everybody rose to their feet to applaud and yell encouragement at the passing riders. The pace was on - they flashed past at around 60km/h. Soon a breakaway group got away from the peloton and put 23 seconds between them. But the peloton responded at this level and held the gap, then as the laps mounted gradually brought it down.

With one lap to go, the breakaway was swallowed by the peloton and it was a question of who could marshall the best sprint to the line. With 400m to go, Cavendish lined up behind three other riders as they motored down the Champs Elysee. Then quick as a flash he darted right, turned on in incredible burst of speed and floated past Pettachi in the final 150m - right before our eyes. On a dead flat, these riders reach speeds of over 70km/hr as they slipstream and then surge as a group.

As the awards ceremonies wound down and the crowds started drifting away, we caught the lazy sunlight of late afternoon on the magnificent Paris architecture which sets the back drop for this race. The Seine, its bridges, the palaces and the statues. It was a great way to sign off on a personal journey that began 12 months ago, took me half way round the world and allowed me to pursue my personal tour goals of riding 1000kms in France, climbing 10,000 metres and reaching the top of three high category climbs. Viva Le Tour!