Stage ten, after the rest day. A flat one.
The teams ride out of Albertville. The sun is shining. The road grey. Trees green.
Team Philosophe are riding together, and chatting.
Which saint is taking the place of Gaius today?
But no! Look! It IS Gaius!
What has caused him to abandon his principles?
That tartiflette, yesterday, the diots, the bilberry tart and multiple glasses of Chignin?
Not that Gaius would overindulge.
Vello: It's good to have you back on board.
Gaius: I felt obliged, in the circumstances.
David: I hope our two bishops will soon recover.
Vello: I don't mind if they don't.
Gaius: Who would have thought they could put away so many sausages?
Vello: Me. But not that they would be indisposed this morning.
David: It's turned out for the best.
Vello: Yes. Except for Gaius's strict condition.
Gaius: I trust you will both adhere to my condition.
David: Not to try to win points. It's hardly a difficult condition. In all our years of competing, we've never won any.
Gaius: That isn't the point.
Vello: Ha ha! No, it isn't.
A bit further up the road: A spill!
Richie Porte is among the fallen. He gets up and exchanges his bike.
He soon catches up to the peloton.
Sweezus: Hey Richie! You okay?
Richie: Yeah.
Marcel: You have a tear in your knickers.
Richie: Who are you?
Sweezus: Pablo.
Richie: No way! I know Pablo.
Sweezus: He's changed since he worked as a diplomat.
Richie: Changed? Uh. He should've got fatter, not thinner.
Sweezus: Nah. He couldn't go anywhere, because of the covid.
Richie: Bummer.
Marcel: You should get that scrape seen to. If it were me...
Richie: Yeah. If it WERE you!
Sweezus: Ha ha! Good one Richie.
Richie rides off to try and do something.
Up at the finish, who is this, well-positioned behind a line of fellow riders from team Deceuninck Quick-Step, in the green jersey?
Mark Cavendish!
If he can only.....
He does!
Now he is one stage win off equalling the record number of stage wins of the great Eddie Merckx.
Which is important.
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