Had they been rock stars the gaggle of Spanish students couldn't have been more entranced.
Yesterday afternoon seven cyclists emerged from Dublin Castle grounds like a frantic swarm of psychedelic bees. And if there wasn't much of a buzz in Dublin city centre before then, there was something approaching it now.
Within seconds a group of more than 100 passers-by were standing in a semi-circle and gawping at the Tour de France team called Gan. The locals stared at the sparkling bikes, the shaven legs and the well-toned calf muscles draped in clinging lycra.
"Mr Boardeeman, Mr Boardeeman," the Spanish students yelled seductively at one of the Gan riders. Tour de France train-spotters will of course know they were referring to Chris Boardman, the British Olympic medallist, who happily signed autographs for these well-informed continentals.
(Actual train-spotters may be disappointed on Sunday when serious disruption of the rail service appears more than likely.)
The rest of us contented ourselves with marvelling at the glamour of it all. "Glamorous? Cycling? Well, who would have thought it," we whispered under our breath.
Mr Boardeeman seemed in good spirits. "It makes a nice change for the Tour to be in Ireland," he said. "We are just off now to make our way around the prologue route. If we can find it that is."
He didn't know how difficult that might prove. Along the rest of the way through Wicklow and towards Enniscorthy the route is unmistakable for the bunting and banners and hedge sculpture displayed along the way, not to mention the spanking new road surface.
By comparison Dublin's streets were embarrassingly bare. Except for the 11 specially erected pedestrian bridges and a massive Clerys banner, the Tour might just as well be in France.
Earlier two cars from the Mercatone Uno Bianchi team, whose star rider is an Italian called Marco Pantani, stopped at the traffic lights outside the Tour HQ at Dublin Castle.
Overcome by excitement, somebody (not this reporter, you understand) shouted "Mantani, Mantani" at the car. Looking very cool, the shaven-headed, Ray-Banwearing Italian, moved his head and gave a slight wave of his hand as the car sped out of sight.
The Spanish students sighed. It's that kind of sport.