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The race is
BREST, the starting point for this year's Tour De France, was the venue for my cycling holiday and the beginning of a steep learning curve.
I was there for the Grand Depart (or "start" as we Brits might say) of the 95th Tour.
It was more like a carnival - live music, entertainment and a caravan of publicity floats stretching for miles - than the launch of a gruelling endurance race.
This was the third time the world's most famous cycle race had started in Brest, the biggest city in Finistere, and the sixth time in Brittany.
We were able to see the riders up close, and the cycling journalists were excited to be within touching distance of the sport's most famous names.
To me, though, they were brightly-coloured, Lycra-clad musclemen. As thousands of fans pleaded for autographs and souvenirs, it was soon pointed out that I'd committed a serious faux pas by pushing past the Beckhams and Ronaldos of professional cycling.
So I decided to grab a quick word with Mark Cavendish.
Mark who? Well, he's 23, English, winner of stage five of the race and hotly tipped to do well in the Tour as well as take gold at the Beijing Olympics. He'd already be a big celebrity in any other country.
The race began amidst a cacophony of cheering, horns, and hundreds of black and white Breton flags fluttering as the riders set off towards Plumenec, nearly 200 kilometres away.
By the time the race finishes in Paris next weekend, the cyclists will have covered 3,560 kilometres (about 2,200 miles) over 21 intense, painful days.
Once the pros were on their way, it was time for us to get on our bikes and tour what is perhaps the most fanatical cycling region anywhere in France - and the sport is huge over there.
Finistere boasts many scenic coastal cycle routes. On day one, we did two hours over mainly flat terrain in warm sunshine, but after about an hour it started to dawn on me that I hadn't done much exercise of late, or ridden a bike for well over a year.
It probably hit me when one of my fellow riders, semi-retired and 67, whizzed past. It was purely pride that forced my weary limbs to put in a sprint finish - I like to think it was like Lance Armstrong at his peak - to pip my senior partner as we finished the route.
He seemed much less tired at dinner, but we both agreed this really was fun for all ages and abilities. For more experienced riders, there are longer, more varied routes.
Finistere is also famous for seafood, and I managed to tick off a couple of firsts - oysters for starters, and, for the main course, swordfish.
We also had exquisite lobster, crab and scallops, and I particularly enjoyed moules frites (mussels and French fries) at a restaurant called Les Alizes, looking out over the sea at Roscoff.
The creperie Manoir de Trouzilit offered good value, and cheese connoisseurs simply must try the Roquefort crepe. And to accompany all this fine dining? Why, Breton cider, of course, sweet or dry.
We took a small boat over to the Isle de Batz, which I'd passed many times on ferries into Roscoff, but never actually set foot on, until now.
The island is a microcosm of everything that's good about Brittany, and has a picturesque, relaxing cycle route, plus one of the most amazing gardens I've ever seen. The Jardin Georges Delaselle is a tropical garden based at the heart of Isle de Batz, with palm trees and other exotic plants more often associated with Hawaii than northern France.
Brest isn't awash with conventional tourist attractions, but the Oceanopolis is definitely worth a visit. With three zones - temperate, tropical and polar - you feel as though you're on an aquatic world tour. The tropical and polar zones were fantastic, with penguins and sea-lions, sharks and colourful fish.
Although the Tour de France is a great honour for Brest, it's only one of two major events on this year's calendar.
Brest 2008 is a festival and meeting of tall ships to celebrate the city's long maritime history. The event is held every four years and the whole city gets involved for the week-long festivities.
Still fairly new to tourism, Brest and Finistere are still working on "things to do", but the area remains most popular for cycling and seafood.
factfile
Getting There - Flybe flies from Southampton to Brest, see flybe.com
Where to Stay -- Bais D'Anges, La Vinotiere, Conquet; Hotel Continental, Brest.
Oceanopolis, Brest - call +33 (0)2 99 36 15 15 or visit oceanopolis.com
Useful Websites - go to brittanytourism.com for more information, brittany-best-breaks.com for bookings or, for more general assistance on holidays in France, call 09068 244 123 (premium line number) or go to franceguide.com
1:25am Saturday 19th July 2008
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