Daunting mountains today.
Stay upright, says Vello. Watch out for the edges.
Useful tactics, says Gaius. But what are our objectives?
To keep breathing, says Vello.
They pedal on, up the Cime de la Bonette.
Team Condor is hopeful of claiming KOM points today.
Belle has crammed their musettes with nutritious food.
What is this? asks Nicolo, pulling a cooked fish out of his feed bag.
A trout, says Sweezus. I hope she deboned it.
Arthur doesn't mind if she didn't debone it. He's not eating it. He rummages deeper.
Yes! Three fruit jam tarts.
They eat their nutritious food and pedal harder.
A tiny rider zooms past them.
Was that Baby Pierre? asks Sweezus.
No, the Kroombit tinker, says Arthur.
She's fast, says Sweezus.
I never could catch her, says Nicolo.
Does that mean you've tried? asks Sweezus.
Of course not, says Nicolo. I've given up on those plans.
Whatever they were, says Sweezus.
Harnessing chaos, says Nicolo. But I should have known better.
Yeah, says Sweezus. Hey, did Sweetpea and Terence finish that poem?
They did, says Nicolo. It's quite complimentary. And it has an unusual rhyme scheme.
Yeah like how? asks Sweezus.
Nicolo recites it.
Home and poem, says Sweezus.
Not just that, says Nicolo. Eyes and lies. But also the order.
I know what a rhyme scheme is, says Sweezus.
They must've had help, says Arthur.
Marcel, says Sweezus. I bet he helped.
Marcel Proust? The chicken clown? He's a prose chap, says Nicolo.
And a long-winded one, says Arthur. But he's also a magician.
Yeah, says Sweezus. I saw him standing at the feed station with a box.
Probably got a rabbit in it, says Nicolo,
The other two laugh, but not much, as the air is quite thin.
Down the mountain goes everyone, and up the next one, which is the last.
Not, of course, all together.
Tadej Pogacar attacks, with 8 k to go.
He powers away from his main rivals, who fail to go with him.
He passes Yates, up the road. He passes Jorgensen.
And wins spectacularly, at Isola.
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