Zoomeroo!

 Pablo has still not spotted Baby Pierre, or his frog companion.

They will surely appear today, thinks Pablo. 

Baby Pierre loves a mountain.

Bang. The race starts, in Motril.

Pablo's mind is on his next poem.

It's about leaving a loved one behind.

The loved one holds up a placard saying allez allez.

She wears shorts with ragged edges, 

caressing the tops of her legs 

like white clouds .....

But his thoughts are interrupted.

Adam Yates comes up behind him, shouting.

Hey Pablo!

What is it? asks Pablo.

Seen Baby Pierre? asks Adam Yates. There's a rumour.

It's more than a rumour, says Pablo. 

That's all I need, says Adam Yates. Today's my big day.

I need to talk to him, says Pablo. If I see him, I'll be slowing him down.

Awesome! says Adam Yates. Thanks buddy.

He speeds off, up the first Cat 1 mountain.

Ben O'Connor rides past.

There's no time limit for this poem, is there? asks Ben O'Connor.

Yes there is, says Pablo. The end of the Vuelta.

Okay, says Ben O'Connor. That means I've got time.

Primoz is calling his poem The Red Fox, says Pablo.

The hell he is, says Ben O'Connor. He's just trying to mess with my mind.

He thinks my poem's about a frog, says Pablo.

And is it? asks Ben O'Connor.

Wait and see, says Pablo.

Ben O'Connor rides off.

Maybe he shouldn't have entered the poetry comp. It's too competitive.

Pablo pedals harder.

Zoom! What was that whizzing under his wheels?

Zoomeroo!  It zooms back again, repeating the action.

Or was the second one different?

Slow down, calls Pablo. I have something to tell you!

One of the zoomers slows down.

It's a frog one.

She is tiny, with brown side stripes. 

Tink tink? says Pablo.

Tink tink! Do you know me? asks the Kroombit tinker.

I know of you, says Pablo. A few years ago I was a team mate of Arthur and Gaius.

What's your name? asks the Kroombit tinker.

Pablo Neruda, says Pablo. I was a domestique for Team Condor.

Tink-tink, says the tinker. I'm a domestique for Baby Pierre.

Do you think you could ask him to slow down a bit? asks Pablo.

No, says the tinker.

But luckily, Baby Pierre returns of his own accord, to look for the tinker.

And ends up having a long-winded catch-up with Pablo Neruda.

So Adam Yates gets his big day.