Tour de France revisited: Daily caravan of buses, cars and motorhomes

This year’s race began in Monaco and advanced into Andorra, Spain, Switzerland and Italy and France.

I drove a 2009 Citroen C3 Picasso min-MPV. It’s a boxy crossover with a five-speed manual transmission, decent acceleration and a lot of storage room. It used diesel fuel, which in France (and other European countries) is more than $1 cheaper gallon than standard grade unleaded gas. It’s sold in liters, with 3.8 liters equaling a gallon. Prices varied from .88 to 1.15 euros per liter, or $3.34 to $4.37 per gallon.

During my 23 days at the Tour de France, I drove the Citroen 6,625 kilometers (4,115 miles). Someone stole a hubcap and  small press sticker was peeled off the from rear window. Overall, the car performed well. It vibrated and lost some stability above kph (93.1 mph), but that didn’t stop me often from keeping up with the follow of traffic — in the slow lane.