On July 11th, 1998, the city of Dublin hosted the opening stages of the Tour de France. It was the first time the Tour had left mainland Europe, and Ireland was expected to give the great race a magnificent send-off. As part of the celebrations leading to the start of the Tour, being asked to exhibit his work at the Gallery of Irish Photography in the city center was a great honor for Graham Watson. Over 130 of his images filled the three-storey building, and guests such as Sean Kelly & Stephen Roche, as well as representatives of the world's media, and the race organizers attended the opening on July 7th. Miguel Indurain, the five-time winner of the Tour, was given a private Tour of the gallery a few days later.

Nearly 20 years of the photographer's work was on display, with a massive wall in the main room dedicated to many of the Tour winners since Watson had first photographed the Tour, back in 1977. Both Kelly and Roche - winner of the 1987 Tour - each had a room dedicated solely to their careers, as did Greg LeMond, a regular visitor to Ireland during his racing career.

In this web-site adaptation of the exhibit, the tributes to LeMond, Kelly and Roche are expanded to include Lance Armstrong and, in particular, his fantastic victory in the 1999 Tour. Armstrong's career is now a highlight of this adaptation. The Wall of Yellow has also been updated to include the most recent Tour de France winners. Amongst the exhibit you will also find emotive images of cyclists like Andy Hampsten and Phil Anderson - as well as modern-day heroes like Bobby Julich, Chris Boardman, and the entire U.S.Postal team. Enjoy the scenery as the Tour takes its distinct character on to the roads and by-ways of some of the most beautiful parts of Europe. Thrill at the images of some of the most memorable battles the Tour has encountered - and sigh at the sadness and tragedy that so makes this sport unique in the eyes of the world.