Workers nap in hamacs by logistical trucks parked tightly together in the "Zone Technique" of the finish line area of the 10th stage of the 113th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 166,6 km between Aurillac and Le Lioran in the Massif Central, on July 14, 2026. Hours before the Tour de France peloton arrives, an empty field or car park on the edge of town is already being transformed. Beyond the crowds, barriers and television cameras, a temporary settlement rises each day in the race's finish town. In a field, industrial estate or patch of open ground adjacent to the stage's finish line, designated as the "Zone Technique" (Technical Zone), hundreds of workers transform an empty space into a functioning village capable of supporting one of the world's largest sporting events. Then, less than 24 hours later, it is dismantled and moved on. Much of the operation unfolds overnight. In the early hours, trucks stream into the Zone Technique from the previous finish town, parking with military precision as crews unload equipment and connect power supplies before dawn. Many workers live on a shifted timetable, sleeping when they can during the afternoon in camping chairs, hamacs or shaded corners of the compound before another night of logistics begins. For three weeks each July, the Tour carries far more than cyclists across France. Technicians, builders, media crews, podium hosts and hostesses travel with the race, bringing their own power, communications, food services and sanitation infrastructure. Together, they form a population that descends daily on towns and villages of every size, bringing with them their own infrastructure, services and routines. Seen from inside the Zone Technique, the Tour de France is not only a cycling event. It is a nomadic settlement crossing the country, rebuilding itself from scratch every day, wherever the finish line happens to be. (Photo by Jeff PACHOUD / AFP via Getty Images)

Tour de France podium hostesses CFanny makes final hair and makeup touch-ups at her camper van before the stage's arrival and podium ceremony, in the "Zone Technique" (Technical Zone) of the finish line area of the 11th stage of the 113th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 161,3 km between Vichy and Nevers in central France, on July 15, 2026. Hours before the Tour de France peloton arrives, an empty field or car park on the edge of town is already being transformed. Beyond the crowds, barriers and television cameras, a temporary settlement rises each day in the race's finish town. In a field, industrial estate or patch of open ground adjacent to the stage's finish line, designated as the "Zone Technique" (Technical Zone), hundreds of workers transform an empty space into a functioning village capable of supporting one of the world's largest sporting events. Then, less than 24 hours later, it is dismantled and moved on. Much of the operation unfolds overnight. In the early hours, trucks stream into the Zone Technique from the previous finish town, parking with military precision as crews unload equipment and connect power supplies before dawn. Many workers live on a shifted timetable, sleeping when they can during the afternoon in camping chairs, hamacs or shaded corners of the compound before another night of logistics begins. For three weeks each July, the Tour carries far more than cyclists across France. Technicians, builders, media crews, podium hosts and hostesses travel with the race, bringing their own power, communications, food services and sanitation infrastructure. Together, they form a population that descends daily on towns and villages of every size, bringing with them their own infrastructure, services and routines. Seen from inside the Zone Technique, the Tour de France is not only a cycling event. It is a nomadic settlement crossing the country, rebuilding itself from scratch every day, wherever the finish line happens to be. (Photo by Anne

Two participants dressed in red chat before taking part in 'The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever 2026' dance event at Folkestone Harbour Arm in Folkestone, south-east England, on July 26, 2026. Originating in Berlin, 'The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever' is an annual event held at many locations around the world where participants recreate the music video for British musician Kate Bush's 1978 song "Wuthering Heights". (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

Participants dressed in red arrive walk toward the harbour before taking part in 'The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever 2026' dance event at Folkestone Harbour Arm in Folkestone, south-east England, on July 26, 2026. Originating in Berlin, 'The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever' is an annual event held at many locations around the world where participants recreate the music video for British musician Kate Bush's 1978 song "Wuthering Heights". (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

Participants dressed in red arrive walk toward the harbour before taking part in 'The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever 2026' dance event at Folkestone Harbour Arm in Folkestone, south-east England, on July 26, 2026. Originating in Berlin, 'The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever' is an annual event held at many locations around the world where participants recreate the music video for British musician Kate Bush's 1978 song "Wuthering Heights". (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

A participant dressed in red strikes a pose as people arrive to take part in 'The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever 2026' dance event at Folkestone Harbour Arm in Folkestone, south-east England, on July 26, 2026. Originating in Berlin, 'The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever' is an annual event held at many locations around the world where participants recreate the music video for British musician Kate Bush's 1978 song "Wuthering Heights". (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

Participants dressed in red arrive ahead of 'The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever 2026' dance event at Folkestone Harbour Arm in Folkestone, south-east England, on July 26, 2026. Originating in Berlin, 'The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever' is an annual event held at many locations around the world where participants recreate the music video for British musician Kate Bush's 1978 song "Wuthering Heights". (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

TOPSHOT - Revellers in cowboy attire watch a live country music performance from a distance during International Cowboy Day celebrations at Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi on July 25, 2026. Observed annually on the fourth Saturday of July, International Cowboy Day celebrates the history, culture and enduring legacy of cowboys and cowgirls around the world. While rooted in the traditions of North America, cowboy culture and country music have gained a growing following across parts of Africa in recent years, particularly in Kenya, where Western-style fashion, line dancing, horseback riding and country music events have attracted an expanding community of enthusiasts. (Photo by Luis TATO / AFP via Getty Images)