What an incredible day for our VIP riders today.. Not only did they get to pedal across the stage finish line in Revel, they to stand on the podium for photos and a little bit of fame. It’s a pretty cool feeling to have the folks in the grandstand right by the podium cheering for “Discover France” as you pedal by. And check it out… we even have a new yellow jersey wearer (I mean, besides Alberto Contador)! It’s a good-looking bunch, I think you’ll agree.

La Mongie is headquarters for several of our Discover France groups for the next few days, and there’s not a better homebase. La Mongie is about 4 kilometers from the top of the Col du Tourmalet, so we get to see the riders come by twice. We can compare our climbing time with theirs, with a handicap, of course. One thing is for sure, riding the routes the Tour riders ride gives you a real appreciation for how hard this race is. And they ride long and hard for 21 days. It’s incredible.

Speaking of incredible, an incredible Etape du Tour trip is over for about 45 Discover France guests. We dropped them off at train stations, airports, and rental car locations today for them to either go on or go home. Doesn’t seem like very many of them are anxious to end their lovely trips to France. In fact, at least a couple staked out spots to watch the Tour pass by today. C’est la vie.