Stage Two: Düsseldorf to Liège - First Crash

A grey day. Raindrops are assembling.

Belle is back from the dentist.

She has purchased suitable snacks.

Vello: No unwrapped sausages?

Belle: No sausages. Power bars and gels.

Jacobi: I had no idea where to buy them. Hence the sausages.

David: We did do badly yesterday, but I don't blame your sausages.

Jacobi: Very gracious of you. We must blame the rain.

Belle: And it looks like more to come. You'd better get to the start line. Good luck everyone.

Team Philosophe rolls away to the start line, feeling focused.

Belle wanders over to Team Condor.

Sweezus: How's your tooth?

Belle: Patched up temporarily. Have you guys got snacks organised?

Sweezus. Shit. I knew there was something I'd forgotten.

Gaius: I had an apple. Now where did I put it....?

Arthur: You already ate it.

Belle: I thought so. You guys are hopeless. Well, I've brought extra snacks, so look for me at the feeding station.

Sweezus: Belle, you're a lifesaver!

Belle: Where's Terence?

Sweezus: Over there somewhere. He's latched himself onto a clown.

Belle: A clown! I don't believe it!

......

The race is on, through German streets, into the country past schlosses and obstgärtens.

The rain drops. The road becomes slippery.

Richie Porte cycles up beside Sweezus.

Bad luck yesterday, says Sweezus.

Better luck today, man, says Richie.

Yeah buddy, says Sweezus.

Marcel Kittel swooshes by.

.......

Amongst the crowd, dotted with coloured umbrellas, stand two clowns.

Terence is beside them.

Tiny Sacrifice is nowhere to be seen.

Where is he? asks Terence.

Guess, says Pickelherring.

You'll die soon, says Terence. Tiny bit you.

Pickelherring pretends to die.

Grimaldi places his suitcase on top of Pickelherring.

What does that mean?

Terence doesn't know.

.....

Thirty kilometres from the finish there is an incident. Wheels touch, tyres slip, a crash.

Chris Froome is down, Romain Bardet and oh no! Richie Porte!

Froome loses skin off his bottom, and Richie loses skin off his knee.

But they get back on their bikes and they finish.

Marcel Kittel swooshes by.

......

It's good to get the first crash out of the way, observes Richie.