Stage 6: Binche to Longwy - Mothers

Another hilly stage. But no cobbles.

Tadej Pogacar has decided to win (and he does).

To be fair, so have many others (but they don't).

The teams exit Binche, a Belgian town famous for weird clowns wearing wax masks and ostrich plumed hats.

The weird clowns have looked forward to this day, as the Binche festival this year was cancelled.

Some of them are on the footpath, doing weird dances. Others are carrying baskets of oranges.

The police keep a watch to make sure they don't throw them at the riders.

See those weird clowns? says Sweezus.

I did, says Pablo. Won't they frighten Terence?

Nah, says Sweezus. Terence is way down the road at the feed zone.

Arthur is eating an orange.

Where'd you get that? asks Sweezus.

From a clown, says Arthur.

Wout van Aert shoots by.

Look at him, says Pablo. He is not giving up his yellow jersey easily.

Did he have an orange? asks Sweezus.

Didn't look like it, says Arthur. Want a suck of mine?

Sweezus accepts a suck of Arthur's orange.

What did Sirene pack today? asks Sweezus. 

I don't know, says Pablo, but I did mention that we need to have protein.

Great, says Sweezus. What do you reckon a mermaid would think of as protein?

Fish, says Arthur.

Maybe not fish, says Pablo. Think about it.

They think about it.

Maybe not fish.

A little further up the road Team Philosophe is nibbling on Power bars, and chatting.

Do you think of yourself more as a sprinter? asks Vello.

No, says N F S. I think of mysef as an all rounder. Somehat like young Tadej. Why do you ask?

Because you have done little so far, says Vello.

To be fair, says David. Neither have we.

True, says Vello. But new blood was what we wanted.

I shall make my move when the time feels right, says N F S Grundtvig. 

Aha! says Vello. So your decisions are not purely rational.

Are yours? asks N F S.

Not always, says David.

Speak for yourself, says Vello.

I was, says David. I must say sometimes the time does feel right. I would not be surprised to see Arthur doing something spectacular today.

Why is that? asks Vello.

We will be going through Charleville-Mézières, his birth place, says David. Perhaps his dear mother will be standing at the roadside.

Phfft! snorts Vello. That would certainly put the wind up young Arthur. I'm sure that his mother died years ago.

Ha ha! laughs N F S Grundtvig, before checking himself.

And he was not fond of his mother, says Vello. He called her the Mouth of Darkness.

That doesn't mean he was not fond of her, says N F S Grundtvig.

If you say so, says Vello. 

They ride on, chewing thoughtfully, thinking of their respective mothers.

At least Katherine is still alive and kicking. They reach the first feed zone.

Katherine hands them musettes full of warm buckwheat pancakes.