It arrives ahead of the peloton by at least an hour, but it is an integral part of the Tour de France. Eagerly awaited by children (and adults alike), the advertising caravan of the Grande Boucle is truly something unique: sounds, colors, gadgets and those "quirky" vehicles with strange shapes that remind us of carnival parade floats.

A large portion of those advertising vehicles are assembled in Pithiviers, a town about ninety kilometers from Paris. From here, where the workshop of the Théobora company is located, approximately eighty vehicles departed and reached Barcelona in recent days, and today they will begin their Tour de France journey.

Jonathan Riou-Coriat, head of sports projects at the company, speaking with colleagues at Le Populaire, explained: "Everything starts with the creative agency Ideactif, which provides us with the guidelines received from clients about the product or idea to be advertised in the caravan. Once we get the green light, we begin production".

Certainly not as simple as it sounds. In fact, the expert emphasizes: "Creating a vehicle for the advertising caravan requires a long and highly technical process. We work for eleven companies and production alone takes us six months".

The complexity and effort, however, will certainly give way to satisfaction knowing that those "floats" born from ingenuity bring smiles to cycling enthusiasts of all ages who await the protagonists of the great French race.

Photos from the social media of Theobora and Ideactif