It’s the soundtrack of the summer. Each July, the theme song to ITV’s Tour de France coverage becomes one of the most played songs in British living rooms. You’ll be familiar with it, I’m sure – you can probably hear it in your head now. It begins with a few midi notes, then comes a swooshing sound, before the anthemic accordion melody erupts. Da DA da DA DA DA DA.
There are few songs you could play for three weeks on repeat and never tire of – ITV’s Tour theme is one of them. That’s because it’s more than a song; it symbolises the start of the biggest bike race in the world, the moment the season has been building up to, and summer afternoons spent on the sofa. When played after an ad break, it also brings a welcome end to plugs for donkey sanctuaries and cremation services. It is, to put it in common parlance, a proper feel-good tune.
