The teams roll out of Tarragone.
The weather is warm.
Want me to lead you guys out? asks Surfing-with-Whales.
Not yet, says Vello.
We'll save our legs for the end, says David.
What's at the end? asks Surfing-with-Whales.
Three times up Montjuic says David.
Shit a brick! says Surfing-with-Whales.
Nice jerseys! shouts a rider from Movistar in passing.
What's Spanish for thank you? asks David.
Two fingers, says Surfing-with-Whales.
I'm not risking two fingers, says David. There must be a word.
Too late now, says Vello. He's too far ahead. Anyway, it's obvious he speaks English.
Yeah, says Surfing-with-Whales. He said nice jerseys.
Unless he said something in Spanish that sounds like nice jerseys, says David.
It's cool riding with you guys in one way, says Surfing-with-Whales.
How so? asks Vello.
You talk everything through, says Surfing-with-Whales.
But? says Vello.
You're freakin slow, says Surfing-with-Whales.
We'll be faster after the feeding station, says Vello. Belle has promised us a treat.
Sure enough, Belle and Terence are waiting at the feeding station with musettes full of treats.
Bombas, pimientos de padron, and one or two long thin fuets.
Watch out for those pimientos! shouts Belle.
Why'd she say that? asks Surfing-with-Whales.
I heard that one in ten bell peppers are wildly hot, says Vello.
Hope we all get a hot one, says Surfing-with-Whales. Speed us up a bit.
Most unlikely, says David. If only one in ten is wildly hot and there are three of us.
Yes, but how many did we get each? asks Vello. Say Belle gave each of us ten.
David peeks inside his musette.
I have five, says David. That makes fifteen altogether.
So one of us is bound to get a wildly hot one, says Vello.
Surfing-with-Whales is gettin tired of all this nattering.
He scoffs his bombas, and five pimientos and speeds away from his team mates.
He doesn't slow down.
He is still going like the clappers as he climbs for the third time up Montjuic.
He is not far behind Tadej Pogacar and Isaac del Toro.
Is it the wildly hot pimiento?
Or is Surfing-with-Whales rather good?
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