And so the 2009 Tour De France has started in the stunning setting of Monaco.
This year, 186 countries will be taking pictures of the race, a total which Tour head honcho Christian Prudhomme wants to take eventually to two hundred.
ITV4 are one of those companies and Gary Imlach, son of former City player Stuart along with Chris Broadman and Ned Boulding had their van set up about fifty yards from the finish line.
Fans of the race, which first started in 1903, poured into Monaco by the day including some Coventrians as well as Fernando Alonso and although hosting the prologue and official tour departure may have cost the principality of Monaco €6m, the money returned via tourism must surely have covered most of the costs. 
City fans in Monaco
The opening stage was a 15.5km prologue which included the Category 4 climb of the Cote de Beausoleil, which we had discovered when trying to find our hotel on Wednesday night.
Holland's Kenny Van Hummel was the first man of 180 riders to be sent on his way as the clock struck four in the afternoon local time after some ceremonies which included tour legend and nice bloke Bernard Hinault, Stefan Rainier and the mayors of Monte Carlo and Rotterdam.
Again the media attention was centred on Lance Armstrong. As he made his way up to the start line surrounded by a press and security entourage, I, about a yard away said:"Come on Lance" He looked at my stick and shaking arm and gave me a smile before carrying on up to the start line, which many of you will know from the Grand Prix.
Armstrong, who had been bookies favourite for the prologue, defied the humidity and was 22 seconds ahead of Montfort at the halfway point.
By the time, Armstrong ended what was described by Brit Charles Wegelius as a very tough circuit; he finished in a time of 20.12.36 some 30 seconds ahead.
It looked a tough time to beat but his teammate Levi Leipheimer smashed it by ten seconds.
Leipheimer
The Astanta rider was a pleased man and said:"I was doing my best and obviously, I am delighted to be in the lead. Whether it is enough to win I don't know."
David Millar was one of the rest to have a go at beating his time. The Garmin rider led early on but nearly came off twice in the second half, which stopped him gaining the top spot.
He said afterwards "I am really pleased and felt really good."
Mark Cavendish did not fair well and admitted that this form of cycling was not his forte. He finished 177th some three minutes down. Earlier, his teammate Tony Martin had put in a splendid effort that saw him collapse after finishing. However, a sit down and some water and the smile was back on the German rider's face.
Then suddenly, there was a hush amongst the press as Andreas Kloden was closing in on Leipheimer's time. He absolutely floored it in the latter stages and the German finished in 19.53.43.
Bradley Wiggins went off and there had been hopes that this was his day. He rode superbly and got to third then flew the last part of the course to finish on a time of 19.51.51 and in the lead.
The attractive Garmin press officer and I got some funny looks as we celebrated. But it was not to last as thirty seconds later, Fabien Cancellera recorded the fastest time of the day to leave Wiggins in third.
The Swiss rider, who won the opening stage in London two years ago, was presented with the yellow jersey by Prince Albert, Fernando Alonso , Bernard Hinault and Eddy Mercyx.
Wiggins said to ITV4 after being patted on the back by joyous Brits and jubilant American Garmin fans that he was in his own little world and got on with the job.
Tomorrow, the tour leaves Monaco after a great few days. You can follow the action on ITV4 from 2.30pm.
Pictures copyright of Covsupport News Service