A day in the medium-sized mountains.
The sun shines on the hopeful.
Terence is standing at the halfway mark with Belle.
Why don't you take your Peruvian hat off? asks Belle.
Where would I put it? asks Terence.
Find a stick, says Belle. Then you could hang the hat on it.
Terence likes this idea. He goes off to look for a stick.
Don't go too far away, says Belle. I think the breakaway riders are coming.
They are coming.
Is Sweezus in the breakaway? Belle hopes that he is.
He's been down in the dumps lately.
The breakaway passes. Pinot, Martin, Van der Poel, Izagirre, Benoot, Alaphilippe, a few others.... but no Sweezus.
Belle sighs and looks around. Where is Terence?
.......
Ion Izagirre turns to his team-mate Guillaume Martin.
Did you see that? asks Ion Izagirre.
What? asks Guilliame Martin.
An infant at the side of the road, holding a hat on a stick, says Izagirre.
You're dreaming, says Martin.
Maybe it was a vision only for me, says Ion Izagirre.
If it was, says Martin, that means today is your day.
A hat on a stick? says Izagirre. How might that work?
In mysterious ways, says Martin. You should know it.
What a good team-mate.
Now Ion is inspired by the infant-and-hat.
Other riders have seen Terence, but not having a team-mate to put two and two together, have not been inspired by the infant-and-hat.
I'm going for it, says Izagirre.
There's still thirty kilometres to go, says Martin.
Seize the moment! says Izagirre. Last time I won a Tour de France stage was seven years ago.
I know, mate, says Martin. You're thirty four now.
Oop! Was that thoughtless?
But no.
Nothing will stop Ion Izagirre. He rides like a Spanish warrior under the uplifting banner of infant-and-hat.
He wins the stage easily.
At the finish he is smart enough not to mention the infant-and-hat.
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