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We packed up to check out of the hotel even though we decided to stay in Lourdes again tonight. I went to the desk to check out and politely bit their heads off one more time for telling me there was a phone in the room, but not telling me that the phones didn't work except to call the front desk to tell them the phones didn't work. I reminded myself that we were in the holy city of Lourdes and that I was standing there as a cancer survivor as I vented my frustration. It just irritates me when someone is intentionally dishonest.

We drove down the road about 10K from Lourdes and parked the car, still about 20K from the top of the Col du Soulor where we were headed. It was a really beautiful ride. The Tour profile listed the Soulor at a little over 5%, but what it doesn't tell you is the first third is over 8% followed by a flat section in a couple of tiny villages, then it kicks back up to 8% for the final third. We stopped and took a break in a village that had one of the fountains next to the road. Apparently they catch the cold water coming off of the mountain and it flows into these little fountains where cyclists fill up their bottles. It's probably the coldest water we get in France. At home they would have all kinds of OSHA and Health Department warnings on it, but here it's cold water, so everybody drinks it.

We stopped one more time to rest as we neared the summit just in time to watch an old man get t-boned by a cyclist descending the mountain. The old man was pushing his bike across the center of the road and the guy hit him and flipped over on his head. He wasn't hurt but he taco'd the old mans rear wheel and snapped his carbon fiber handlebars in half. He was still chewing the old man out as we rode off.

We got to the top and spoke with Johnathan Vaughters. JV is the Director of the Under 23 US Development Team and former pro rider. We grabbed a sandwich and drink at the cafe on the top and found a spot on the route to setup our signs. We saw our American friends Doug and Joanne from California, that have met us in Paris in years past and are coming back this year. I spotted them because they were wearing some t-shirts that we had made two years ago to raise money for the LAF. They were too far away for us to get to them to visit, but we had two shirts that we brought for them this year, also. We knew we'd see them in a few days in Paris, though.

The caravan was passing by as we found our place on the mountain, so we knew the riders were only an hour away. There were a few riders ahead of Lance's group, but nobody that threatened the GC. It's still amazing how fast these guys fly by after just climbing the col d'Aubisque. We were standing on the edge of the road and obviously in the riders preferred line because they would brush against you as they rode by. Lance was a little more in the center of the road, obviously a lesson learned from the 2003 musette bag takedown. We cheered and Angie waved her pom poms as the Discovery Team led Lance passed us.

It was really congested as we started back down the mountain. It takes a while for us to get past the walkers but soon we were coasting back to our car at eight times the speed of our ascent. We were back at the car in no time and drove back to Lourdes to find our third hotel for our third night there. Our luck improved as the second hotel we went in had a room, a phone and a tv with Eurosport. Jackpot! We ran downtown to grab some dinner before the evening television replay and ran into our mom and daughter friends that we met previously. As we finished our dinner at the sidewalk cafe we had fallen into, Rodney and Pam walked by. They sat down to chat and we shared the days stories. Pam had really cringed when I told her they need to take everything they needed when they went out on the mountain, like water, food and TOILET PAPER. It just hit her that there were no bathrooms out on the side of a mountain. The first thing she said was that she didn't have to go all day! They really enjoyed their first day at the Tour and were amazed at how close the riders come to you as they ride by. The team cars even get closer sometimes.

We scooted back to the hotel to watch the replay at 10:00, then went to bed. Tomorrow would be a long day because we were driving to the start in Pau, then sneaking away from the Tour for the first time in the five years that we've been coming. We were really taking a sight seeing break. There were some prehistoric caves that had some drawings that Angie has always wanted to see and we've never taken the time to see them, so this was it!

July 18 evening / July 20