For the photo, I thought I’d show you what my car looks like inside - the front seat. Everything has to be in reach while I’m driving. It’s pretty messy, I guess. It will be much worse by July 24th. One of the Tour Security guys looked in my window this morning and said “poubelle”, which I think means trashcan… He always teases me.

But last night, a gendarme hollered at me and I don’t think he was teasing. It was while I was in that traffic jam in Courcheval – he was driving up hill and I was coming down. He was bellowing something at me in French. His face was really red and his cheeks were puffed out. I guess there must be a law in France that you can’t use your laptop on your steering wheel, and talk on your cell phone while driving. HA – I was only going about two miles an hour and stopping about every three car lengths. I had everything under control – besides I knew he couldn’t turn around to get me…

It was really cool today in the Caravane – for a while, a Credit Lyonnais vehicle was behind me, and Raymond Poulidor was in it. I’d seen him earlier in the Village Depart, and took a couple of shots of him. He is greatly loved by the French, and they recognize him instantly. I could just hear shouts of “Pou-Pou, Pou-Pou” echoing up the side of the packed road.

Everyone was clapping and cheering, and running along beside his car. They were so excited, and the word spread instantly clear up to the top of the mountain. His driver had to keep stopping so folks could shake his hand. It started raining, and they rolled the windows up, but people still saw him and tried to talk with him or touch him. I wondered if that will happen to Lance several years from now, too.

This one French guy came up to my window and said something to me in French. I said my usual phrase that I only speak a little French – he said that he would speak English with me. I said, “What do you want? Do you know that Pou-Pou is in the car right behind me?” “I don’t want Pou-Pou,” he said, “ I want you!” “Au revoir,” I said, and stepped on the gas…