[ChasWG]

Camille, I've never been to France and have never seen the courses there, but after seeing and driving all of the mountain stages during the first two weeks of the Giro, I have to say, "HOLY CRAP!!" Those mount roads are freaking nasty small and tight. There was one tappa (stage) that started in Innsbruck, Austria and traveled through a corner of Swizterland (sp?). The decent from the Swiss mountains started about 40 Km from the border and ended in Chaivenna, Italy. At the top we (and the cyclists) were in a fog so thick that you could only see about 15 meters in front of you. And the shear amount of switchbacks was crazy. Oh, and it was raining the whole time. Driving a car down that was very, very sketchy, to say nothing of doing it on a bike. That was a tough day for everyone involved in the race.
Someday I would love to see or work on the TdF and see France like I got to see Italy! Though I was about 10Km from the French border while in the Alps.

No dought my daughter saved my orchids for me. Without her, the plants would have wilted and died.