While a lean -looking Geoff Thomas offers its reflections against the stunning background of the Alps, it is hard to believe that he will celebrate his 61st birthday next month.
Thomas, a former FA Cup -Late Captain with Crystal Palace and closed nine times by England, has just cycled past the fashionable ski area of Courchevel as a steep climb in the 18th stage of his seventh Tour de France.
It is a remarkable achievement for everyone, let alone a cancer survivor with two arthritic knees, a legacy of his earlier professional career.
One of the pleasure of the Tour is that amateur drivers can ride a few days before the professional riders of the elite.
Thomas participated for the first time in 2005 – a few years after his own diagnosis of myeloid leukemia that required a stem cell transplant – and each ride has raised significant sums of money for cure leufeumia to distribute drugs, carry out clinical tests and to bundle information from different health units.
At the beginning of this year, Thomas thought that I was competing again on the 20th anniversary of his first Tour, a Pipedream was because of grade four arthritis in both knees, a result of several cross magazines during his match days.
A new injection, Athrosamide,, however, became available and was able to train pain -free. The reward will come on Sunday when he exceeds the finish line of the Tour in Paris after he has driven more than two thousand miles.
He is about the same weight today (76 kg) as during his football career and is understandably proud of what he will achieve.
'The Tour is a brutal event, in particular the climbs of 25 or 30 miles in the mountains. I don't think I would like to be a professional cyclist. It is a difficult old game, “he acknowledges.
“I initially thought I would do a week, but I stayed until the end.
'Professor Craddock, my partner in cure leukemia, saved my life when I had the disease. It is a great goal that delivers hope to patients. It is what keeps me motivated to do such crazy things! '
Thomas played for seven clubs, including Nottingham Forest and Wolves, but is best known for his enchantment as a captain at Palace, who brought Manchester United to a repetition in the 1990 FA Cup final and then third in the old first division.
'Many people in the game still call me skip. The Steve Coppell manager would say that I led a good example instead of screaming, but others might say differently!
'When you play in addition to people with the quality of Ian Wright, I was not afraid to speak my thoughts when they did not perform.
'They may have had so much more ability, but you recognize when they do not pull their weight. That is what leadership is all about. It is about cajoling and recognizing when someone may need a small staircase on the back. '
Thomas was in Wembley in May to see the club win the first big trophy in their history and beat Manchester City to win the FA Cup.
His own successful palace team went out with Wright, Mark Bright and later Nigel Martyn sold for big money.
He thinks that the long-term answer this time to keep Star Assets Ebereechi, Marc Guehi, Adam Wharton and Jean-Philippe Mateta, moves from Selhurst Park to a larger stadium.
'If Palace is going well again and it does well in Europe, people will come true. Realistic I think Palace can be top eight, “says Thomas.
'In my time we were promised a new stadium with new facilities, and it is still being discussed.
'It would be nice to see that Crystal Palace has the stadium that is suitable for this current time. The team is for it. The fans are for it. It is a balancing act with the money men, when is the right time.
'It is a difficult choice, but I think that is the way you will keep these players in the future.
'Everton leaves Goodison Park. There are not many old stadiums such as Selhurst Park more. Times move forward, right?
'I don't want to put Steve (parish) busy, but I think it would be fun for Crystal Palace to play in the area that is suitable for these times. They have the players to adorn a new stadium. It would be an extra bonus. '
Until now, the summer of Parish has been admitted by disputing UEFA's decision to deposit the club from the Europa League to the Conference League because of the importance of shareholder John Textor in both the Eagles and Lyon.
Thomas describes the decision as a “mess”, but although it feels the decision unfair, it does not think that it should define the season of Palace.
“I think a larger club than Palace would have had a better chance to pass a situation like this,” he says. “What the outcome is, there will be a time to look forward to entertaining football in Europe.”