Remi Gaillard

Tour de France prankster takes flash mobs to another level

Cheering crowds and fake finishing lines: what kind of reception would Sunday cyclists elsewhere give Remi Gaillard's stunts? Remi Gaillard is quite famous in France. He's quite famous because he films himself playing pranks on people, and posts them on the internet. His reasons? "C'est en faisant n'importe quoi qu'on devient n'importe qui" - "It's by doing whatever that one becomes whoever".

"Whatever" has recently involved creating a fake Tour de France finish line and lying in wait for unsuspecting Sunday cyclists. The cyclists are suddenly greeted by an enthusiastic mob which covers them with praise, trophies and bottled water (watch the video above to get the full effect). Gaillard has gone to some lengths to make these mobs realistic, recruiting male flashers as a final touch. The video has gone viral, notching up over 0.75m views on YouTube alone.

"What does this victory mean to you? What does it mean to you, Richard?" Gaillard asks one captured biker, leading him through the baying crowd for "drug tests". "Richard", meekly following, finds it hard to put into words.

And this is what is most surprising about the whole thing. The cyclists seem, if a little confused, keen not to disturb the fantasy. They do not feel the need to ask questions such as "Have I actually won the Tour de France?", "Is this an elaborate way of stealing my bike?" or "Can you please leave me alone?"

Perhaps the unexpected praise leaves bikers secretly pleased - after all, cyclists are often under-appreciated.Surely in the UK this sort of thing would lead to some pointed questions. Or brawls and kettling. I ask a London cyclist. Would he enjoy being ambushed on his way to work, or, as Gaillard might say, wherever? He thinks for a second. "I would probably punch him."