Cyclists, bike fanatics and Howe Street householders have given the thumbs up to the Tour de France after greeting the peloton as it whizzed through the village.Scroll down for the video
Spectators lined the streets outside the River Farm at the Green Man - which was hosting a cycling village put on specially for the event - to catch a glimpse of the elite riders.
And after hours of build-up, the blink and you'll miss it peloton arrived at about 2.10pm to the delight of the amateur riders who made up the crowd.
James Rethman, a member of the Colchester Rovers Cycling Club, arrived at 9am with eight-year-old son Max.
He said: "It was fantastic, better than I expected. It was just exciting seeing the riders close-up, I saw Geraint Thomas in the crowd.
"Max got more excited than me. He's a keen cyclist and drags me to races too.
But fellow member Chris Seward said the crowds weren't as deep as he had expected but it meant he was able to grab a prime spot after setting down at 9am.
James Gardner, owner of River Farm, admitted to feeling emotional when the peloton shot past his pub.
"It was just a totally overwhelming feeling," he added. "To see the cyclists come past brought me to tears.
And as for the yellow Tour de France signage outside? "I think I might leave that up for a little while yet."
