Saturday evening. Wakefield Street is buzzing.
The Classic Criterium is about to go off.
Bang!
The crowds cheer.
Until there are no riders to look at.
Now what? ask some of the children.
They'll be back, say some of their parents. They go round and round.
Then what? ask the childen.
Then it's finished, say their parents.
This is not as exciting as the children had expected.
But it is fun for the teams.
There goes Jhonatan Narváez from Team Ineos, looking happy.
How is it you are looking so happy? asks Elia Viviani. This race is not counted.
That is why, says Jhonatan Narváez.
Me, I am focused on the race proper, says Elia Viviani.
A tiny bicycle shoots under his wheels.
Accidenti! shouts Elia Viviani. Who is going under my wheels?
It was Baby Pierre, says Luke Burns, who witnessed the incident.
Let him not come under me again, says Elia Viviani.
No worries. Baby Pierre has shot forward and is now under the wheels of Sweezus.
Sweezus wobbles.
Little bugger! says Sweezus.
Who? asks Surfing-with-Whales.
Baby Pierre, says Sweezus. He's frickin' everywhere.
Yeah, that'll be for the competition, says Surfing-with-Whales. Publicity. Did you hear what the prize is?
Bath water! snorts Sweezus. Who the hell came up with that?
Your boss, that's what mum told me, says Surfing-with-Whales.
Sounds like the boss, says Sweezus. He can be a real crackpot.
Or a genius, says Surfing-with-Whales.
They stop talking and speed up at this point, because they are falling behind.
Up at the front, in the breakaway, the subject is the same.
Bath water! says Natnael Tesfazion. They wouldn't want mine.
Or mine! laughs Isaac del Toro.
Are you speaking of the prize bath water of Baby Pierre? asks Jhonatan Narváez.
Yes, says Natnael Tesfazion.The prize bath water.
I would like to win it, says Jhonatan Narváez.
Baby Pierre zooms past them, turns and threads his way back though their wheels.
A daredevil performance.
Jhonatan Narváez is inspired.
And today, he will be the winner.
So what if the results are not counted?
No comments:
Post a Comment