What is the Tour de France caravan, and why does everyone love it so much?

Anyone can stand by the roadside and watch the Tour de France, making it the event with the largest number of spectators in the world. The organisers estimate there are more than 12 million roadside visitors to the Tour each year. 

That’s a lot of people who are passed by the riders and, because they’re often waiting for several hours for the race to pass, also a golden opportunity for brands to publicise their wares.

So, around one to two hours ahead of the riders, the publicity caravan follows the same route as the race.

In the caravan are cars and floats decked out in advertisers’ colours, many in the shape of their product. So if you’ve ever wanted to see a giant bag of Haribo or an oversized chicken leg, the caravan is for you.

Official figures show that the publicity caravan for the 2025 Tour de France comprised 150 vehicles, with 37 different brands represented. There are more than 600 drivers and other participants representing the advertisers, many of whom come back year after year to take part.

The caravan stretches to around 10 kilometres in length and takes around 35 minutes to pass.

Better yet, as well as the spectacle, the caravan scatters free products as it passes, so you can expect to be fed, watered and maybe pick up a king of the mountains T-shirt or a cap as the caravan passes, although there can be stampedes for the choice items.   

Advertising represents around 40% of the Tour’s revenues, with much of this coming from the caravan and it’s been a feature of the Tour since 1930.

It’s reckoned by the Tour's organisers that almost 40% of the spectators turn out just to see the caravan pass – so much for being there to watch the cycle race, which can pass in a shot.