Britexpat, you are perfectly correct. The organizers and participants were bemoaning the lack of spectators. I'm sure all the local cycle club members were there, but for the average Joe (or Jill) it's a pretty "meh" sport.
Couple this with ridiculous road closures for hours on end meaning you couldn't get to the action, and if you got there in good time, you were pretty much stuck there till the roads reopened.
PPPPPP