Are the gardai, currently under the doctor for blue 'flu, prepared for a new force that is about to hit our shores? The Tour de France descends upon us this week and with it comes 44 members of France's Garde Republicaine. The French president's personal escort is known as an elite force - arrogant, tough and even dangerous, according to sources. And they don't take orders from anyone. President Chirac won't be with them.
Traditionally the armed garde, on their motorbikes, escort the Tour de France and that is what they will be doing here. But they won't be armed this time - it is against the law for a foreign force to carry arms - and they won't have legal powers. The authorities here hope they realise this and have given our Garda 10 new Honda Pacific bikes to keep up with the French. Those who get in the way and ignore orders, (and that includes the hundreds of Dublin traders whose access routes will be closed off for hours on end), had better watch out.