Stage Twenty: Albertville to Val Thorens - Eight-fold Path

The stage has been shortened today.

But what remains will be gruelling.

And peppered with ifs.

If yesterday's weather had been different ....

If I could have finished....

If  he....

Just think, says Vello, any one of us might have ended up wearing yellow.

A number of events would need to have happened for it to be you, says David. Or me. Or even Gaius.

Or me, says Nietzsche.

I didn't include you for a reason, says David.

May I ask the reason? says Nietzsche.

Extraordinary things seem to happen to you, says David.

Doesn't make it more likely, says Vello.

Doesn't it? says David.

In the light of that, says Nietzsche, I feel I should tell you that something super-extraordinary has happened.

You are in love, says Vello. We guessed that.

Nietzsche is deflated.

The road steepens.

Vincenzo Nibali rides past.

Further up the road Nibali passes Team Condor, who are weighing up their options.

He hears one of them say: Lobster thermidor pie.

Focus, Vincenzo!

It just popped out, says Sprocket.

Again? says Sweezus. Anything with it?

Nut and herb crumble, says Sprocket. And apple salad.

You know what? says Arthur.

What? says Sweezus.

Schopenhauer had that for dinner once, says Arthur.

So, it's coming to me through my saddle, says Sprocket. Funny. It only started yesterday.

You're tired, says Sweezus. Try and focus.

On what? says Sprocket. The food or the eight-fold path?

Whatever helps, says Sweezus.

But not both, says Arthur.

Sprocket chooses the eight-fold path. Number six. Right effort

His mother would approve it.

Further up the road, the yellow jersey group pursues Nibali.

With number seven (right mindfulness) and number eight (right concentration).

The eight-fold path is quite useful.

But Nibali is powering his way up to Val Thorens.

Today is his last chance to win a stage and prove that competing in the Giro didn't bugger up his chances.

E-huh! E-huh!

It's hard though. Because up to now it has seemed that it has.

But no! He is still in the lead. Focus Vincenzo!

Not on pain and misery.

Not on running clown idiots

Not on the never-ending mountain.

Something uplifting. Something to aspire to.

Something like....lobster thermidor pie.