The teams ride out from Carcassonne.
They face a series of five short steep climbs.
The weather is warmish.
Team Condor considers forming a breakaway.
Are you guys up for it? asks Sweezus.
Arthur and Pablo are up for it.
They speed out ahead of the peloton. That was easy.
The peloton reels them back in.
That too was easy.
We tried, says Pablo.
Yeah, says Sweezus. Maybe it's not our day.
True, says Pablo. I think you know when it's your day.
It's not our day, says Arthur. Everyone's suspicious.
Yeah I know, says Sweezus. Marcel did us no favours.
There he is now, at the side of the road with some bagpipes.
He is minding Terence, and blowing.
Look! cries Terence. We've got bagpipes!
It's a biniou! shouts Marcel.
To shout this he has had to stop blowing.
Screee-urrrrr.
Where'd he get that? mutters Sweezus.
Back in Brittany, says Arthur. But at the time he didn't know how to play it.
He still doesn't, says Sweezus.
They are coming up to the feed zone.
Belle hands them their musettes.
Inside are gels, energy bars and fizzy drinks.
Same old same old....
Pablo has one of those moments.
What am I doing here? asks Pablo.
Same as us, says Sweezus.
Yes but what is it? says Pablo.
Team Condor slows down..
Remember last year, says Pablo. We all wrote poems.
That was the year before, says Sweezus. But yeah.
And Richie wrote one, says Arthur, About eating a potato with butter and salt and black pepper.
Okay, let's do it, says Sweezus.
They ride on, up and down the five mountains, thinking of words.
It's one way to focus.
But not the best way.
Bauke Mollema, whose day it is, and who is focussed on winning, soloes to victory in Quillan.
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