Another day in the Alps. This will be hard for the sprinters. But the sun is shining. It's a beautiful day.
Unni rides beside Arthur.
She is talking.
...and I said to her, you always buy special treats for Sweezus and Arthur, but do I ever get anything, no......and she said to me......
Arthur is looking at the mountains, which are approaching the race, in an Einsteinian fashion.
...get this Arthur, she said I was going to get something soon, all mysterious, so I said what and she said it was from Sweezus....
Arthur is looking at the backside of Alejandro Valverde. Up down up down.
...so I kept on asking and in the end she told me he was sorry for me and he was going to give me a medal...Arthur are you even listening?
Yes, says Arthur, a medal.
That's the most insulting thing I've ever heard in my life! says Unni.
She speeds up and easily passes Alejandro Valverde.
Arthur drops back level with Sweezus and Richie.
Lucky you didn't give Unni that medal, says Arthur.
What medal? says Sweezus. Oh yeah that medal. Lucky? Why?
She's insulted, says Arthur.
You mean she would be, says Sweezus.
No she is, says Arthur. She knows.
Fuck, says Sweezus. What do I do now?
Richie grins. He likes riding with Sweezus.
........
The Col d' Izoard. The riders are relatively horizontal. It's the road that has tilted.
..........
Vello, Gaius and Schopenhauer are riding laboriously and speaking of apples.
The apples of Rintoul, says Gaius, are famous for retaining their flavour.
You don't say, says Vello. Let's hope David will obtain some.
You should be careful eating apples, observes Schopenhauer. Remember your tooth.
Tish tosh, says Vello. It's perfectly all right now, thanks to that bleu de Bresse cheese.
That may well be illusory, says Schopenhauer.
There you go again, says Vello.
And here we go again, says Gaius, feeling suddenly jocular.
But as sometimes happens, the jocularity has the opposite effect.
Team Philosophe has a collective existential moment.
Here they go again. Why and where? For what purpose?
Do you know what? says Vello. Something else needs to happen.
I agree, says Schopenhauer. Perhaps some sort of sacrifice?
A burnt offering? says Gaius.
No, says Vello, something like .....a mad leadout. Who's game? Not me, because of my tooth.
I thought you said it was......begins Schopenhauer.
He stops. He thinks: Come on Schop, walk the walk.
I'll do it, says Schopenhauer.
He surges forward,
Hee hee! cries Vello. What an excellent philosopher.
Him? says Gaius dubiously.
Him? says Vello. No no. Me.
....
Schopenhauer passes Thomas, Nieve, De Marchi, Pinot, Bardet, Majka at various intervals.
He is making a sacrifice, driven by compassion, which desires the welfare of others....
He looks back.
Isn't the idea though, that the other team members will follow?
Where are they?
Thomas, Nieve, De Marchi, Pinot, Bardet and Majka overtake him, at various intervals.
One by one they fall back as the mountain tilts further, leaving the young Polish rider, Rafal Majka, to cross the finish line alone. Gratulacje, Rafal!
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