Cathy Klunk Armstrong overlooks the Tour de France

Cathy Klunk Armstrong looking out her Paris hotel window along the Champs Elysee as the Tour de France cycles by last summer.

Cathy relates how she and husband Chris had their room upgraded by their hotel in the French capital:

"We arrived in Paris after 12 days driving around the Alps and Pyrenees and riding our bikes. We were pretty ripe in our T-shirts and shorts when we arrived at the Marriott on the Champs Elysee. I travel quite a bit for work so I am an elite member and when we checked in, I presented my card and reservation confirmation. We had gotten reservation 10 months earlier as we knew hotels would be at a premium for the Tour. This one in particular since it sat on the finish course. The race was ending on Sunday and we checked in on Friday, so they were already setting up bleachers and getting prepared for the race finish. As I was checking in, the attendant at the counter as if there was any relation to Lance. I smiled politely and said "unfortunately No." She asked if we could wait as they would like to upgrade our room. We sat in the lobby and they served us champagne. When the bellman arrived to take us to our room he led us to the 3rd floor. He informed us that there was also an entrance to the sitting room on the 4th floor. Chris and I were quite surprised to find we had been upgraded to a 3 floor suite that looked out onto the Champs Elysee with a view of the Arc de Triumph. Needless to say we had a very comfortable stay in Paris."

So, like Lance, Cathy and Chris had a lot to Crow about!