Stage 9: Cluses to Tignes - Ding

Another day in the mountains. Again it is raining.

Arthur is back in the saddle.

There he goes, leading out Sweezus, who today has five chances to be King of the Mountain.

Pablo is not far behind.

Go team! cries Belle.

Yay! cries Terence. 

Bong-bong-bong! cries Marcel, dinging a bell.

Bon chance! cries Saint Arnoc.

(They are all standing together, near a barrier).

I have to go shopping for tomorrow, says Belle. Marcel, will you do the food bags, and Saint Arnoc, would you mind Terence?

Certainly, says Saint Arnoc. I look forward to getting to know Terence a little better. 

Why? asks Terence.

Because you appear as a holy infant, says Saint Arnoc.

Do you know Saint Roley? asks Terence. 

The first part of the name rings a bell, says Saint Arnoc. 

Good, says Terence. Where is he?

That I don't know, says Saint Arnoc.

Marcel wanders off with the food bags. 

He is thinking of more important things than food distribution.

The intricacies of clown technology. 

His bell does not seem to ding right.

Nairo Quintana rides past.

Today my goal is King of the Mountains, says Quintana, to another Columbian, in Spanish.

Will he achieve it?

(The answer is no).

Along comes Ben O'Connor. 

But no one has heard of Ben O'Connor. 

Today I'm winning this stage, says Ben O'Connor, to another AG2R rider.

Go for it! says the other AG2R rider.

Can it be so simple?

There are hard mountains to ride up and down on. 

And it is still raining.

But Ben seems to know.