Stage Eighteen: Briançon to Izoard - Prediction

Briançon is a commune in the Haute-Alpes department.

They eat tartiflette there, a baked potato, bacon and cheese dish.

Every rider hopes to find tartiflette in their snack bag.

Most will be disappointed. It's hard to package for on-the-run cycling.

Gaius is talking to Belle before the race starts.

Has Baldy recovered from drinking Verveine du Velay? asks Gaius. It was most remiss of me to allow him to drink it.

It wasn't your fault, says Belle. Yes, he's better today. He said Wa-wa this morning.

How amusing, says Gaius. That's the nickname the French give to Warren Barguil.

Good heavens! says Belle. I wonder if there's anything in it?

Probably not, says Gaius. Although verveine was used by the Romans to predict the future.

Wa-wa should win today then, says Belle.

Race is starting, says Gaius. I'd better go. What's in today's snack bags?

Tartiflette, says Belle. I wrapped some, specially. You squeeze it up from the bottom.

Gaius had not been looking forward to the final battle of the climbers, up the Col d' Izoard.

But.....tartiflette, to squeeze up from the bottom! Now he is heartened.

......

Team Philosophe is riding at the back of the main peloton. They have not won any points today.

Or any other day.

At least we're still here, says Vello.

Not everyone is as lucky, says David. Think of Porte, Kittel...

I vote we make a last ditch effort, says Jacobi.

Now? says David.

After the feeding station, says Jacobi.

.....

At the feeding station, Belle is standing with all the bags ready.

Tiny is beside her, with a strawberry for Third Sister.

Terence and Baldy are watching out for the clowns.

This is because of what happened yesterday.

The clowns had ridden up behind them, snatched them, and bundled them into their suitcase.

Oi! a policeman had said. No clowning with children!

Grimaldi and Pickelherring had no choice. Terence and Baldy had jumped out of the suitcase.

The crowd had been mildly amused, because the race was not passing.

Terence and Baldy had run to Belle who was handing out strawberries.....

That was yesterday. Today, it's tartiflette Belle is dispensing.

Team Sky ride past mechanically, reaching into their snack bags. They can smell tartiflette.

Mmm! But they only find Power Bars, protein gels and bananas.

Froome peels a banana. What does he care?  It will do nicely.

Team Condor and Team Philosophe are welcome to their gourmet French snacks.

.......

At the finish, after a harrowing ride up the Col d'Izoard, Warren Barguil, of Team AG2R, soloes to victory.

Wa-wa.

Just saying.