*Chapter 8*

No Kidding Sherlock

 
 
I turned to locate the voice, Caro, and nearly rode into one of the Austrians, both of whom contested the finish.

“Sehr gut!” he grinned patting my shoulder.

“Er danke.” Not sure what that was about.

“Well done, kiddo.” Caro mentioned as she grabbed my bike.

“Who?”

“No idea, think it’ll be a photo.”

“Mark’s still got yellow.” I gasped.

“Maybe, come on, they’ll be testing everyone today.”

“Aww!”

“Get used to it kiddo, it’s a sign of success after all.”

My legs almost buckled under me when I dismounted, yeah it’s been a hard ride.
 
 

It took them a while to sort out the result, in fact we were all packed and ready to shoot before the screech of the mobile PA announced it was show time.

“Most aggressive rider – Mario Pellini, Schweiz!”

The crowd cheered loudly for the home rider as he stepped up to receive his plaudits.

“In third place, yesterday’s winner, Mark Cavendish, Team GB!”

Mark took the lowest step and the PA crackled again,

“Second place, Jose Martinez Espana!”

Two days on the trot, looks like I’ve missed out today.

“And today’s winner by half a tyre, Drew Bond, Team GB!”

“Go on up then, dumbo.” Claire chided with a shove of my elbow.
I think my grin was quite large as I climbed to the top step.

 
 
I still had another trip out to the podium to make, but I had to wait for the girl’s podium and overall first. Roni scooped top slot of course but Claire got most aggressive rider which was a surprise and the Swiss girl got the spots. Finally they got to the boy’s overall.

“Mountains, Drew Bond, Team GB.”

Oh yeah! I grinned and punched the air as I donned the spots, then had to pose with the taller than me Swiss girl for some pictures.

“Due to some exceptional riding today and time bonuses given, the judges have had to check the rule book thoroughly. We have a new leader of the Helvetia Cup…”

How can anyone have got in front of Mark? We got the time bonus and we all had the same time at the finish.

“Drew?” Caro hissed.

“Eh?”

“Go on, they’re waiting for you!”

“Why?”

“You’re in yellow now.”

Me? Yellow?

“Drew Bond!” the PA repeated and in a bit of a daze I returned to the podium. It’s only day two but I’m in the yellow jersey and the polka dots!

I’d best explain, Steve had to go through it twice with me before I got it. I started the day in third at two seconds behind Mark so when we did the one two at Stans, it put me into second but now five seconds down. Mark didn’t score at the second sprint, Mario took the ten, Roni seven and me five which on count back leaves Mark in yellow although we are both on the same time – except Roni didn’t take seven, she took ten in the girls competition, which means I got the seven putting me two seconds ahead of Mark – complicated I know.

So tomorrow I get to wear the yellow and as he’s second in the mountains competition Josh gets to wear the spots.

The Hotel Tourist is situated slightly out of Meiringen on the road to Innertkirchen, a smallish family hotel who seemed a little overwhelmed by our entourage. Apparently we should’ve booked dinner this morning, yeah I didn’t get that either but the rooms are okay and the shower’s hot.

“Okay, folks, our host has got us booked into a hotel up the hill for dinner tonight. If anyone fancies a bit of an excursion on the way there’s a mountain railway up to the Reichenbach falls, the restaurant is above the falls apparently.” Mr Brailsford told us as we gathered on the benches in front of our accommodation.

“Otherwise we’ll be taking the bus up so if you are feeling a bit fragile you still get to eat.” He grinned.

“What’re you doing, Mr Yellow?” Manda enquired.

“A walk couldn’t hurt I guess, the weather looks like it’s gonna hold.”

“Uh huh.” Mand agreed surveying the clear blue skies above.

“Anyone doing the falls needs to be ready in ten minutes.” Caro instructed.

“Best fetch my camera.”

“You should bring your yellow jersey, too.” Claire suggested.
 
 

No one wanted to look soft by taking the bus up so I joined all the other riders, Caro, Jemma and Dad for the walk to the Reichenbachfall-Bahn – not a railway as such but one of those funicular things.

“Looks a bit rickety.” Claire suggested.

I had to agree but it must be okay or it wouldn’t be running would it? Caro went to pay our fares, there was a bit of arm waving and pointing before a grinning Caroline returned.

“I got us a free trip for the price of a few photo’s, Drew, you bring the jerseys?”

“Uh huh.” Yup the yellow and the dots, seems our fame has even reached this corner of Switzerland.

So we got to pose for pictures at the base of the falls and on one of the tram cars before we loaded up to make the 250m high ascent. A few other people were waiting so we all scrunched up to get a spot on the wooden bench seats.

“Think I prefer my saddle.” Mark opined.

“Yeah, it’s a good job this is quite short.” I agreed.

“Bit like the cliff lift at Scarborough.”

“Apart from no sea view.”

“There is that.” He agreed.

“Sorry bout the jersey.” I offered as we jerked away from the Talstation.

“’S’alright, you did do most of the work.”

“Yeah but the idea was that I’d be in the spots and you in yellow.”

“We’ve still got both jerseys and I can’t complain at being second, reckon I’ll drop down tomorrow though.”

“I’m sure the boss has a plan.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure, we’ve had two good days which have gone too well for us.”

“Dad always says to take advantage of anything you can get, no one remembers twentieth place.”

“He’s wise, your dad.”

The carriage juddered to a halt.

“Whats going on? Has it broken?” Claire demanded.

“Nay ye daft mare, the down train has to pass us.” Jamie informed us.

“Who you calling a mare?”

“Ah wuz only saying, ye ken?”

“That’s sexist, that is.” Claire persisted.

“He didn’t mean anything by it Claire.” Laura tried to intervene.

The down car clattered past in confirmation of Jamie’s prediction.

“Whit ah said.” Jamie mumbled.

“Humph!” Claire snorted.

Our own transport juddered into life again and our attention moved away from bike racing to trying to see the falls. We broke from the trees and found ourselves looking directly down at the rampaging waters of the Reichenbachfall.

“Pretty impressive.” Mark observed.

“I wouldn’t want to be in there.”

“That’s supposed to be how Sherlock corked it.”

“Eh?”

“You know, Sherlock Holmes, detective geezer?”

“Yeah.” I agreed.

“Well he’s supposed to’ve fallen into these falls.”

“How’d you know that?”

“There’s a leaflet thing in the room, there’s a museum in the town, old Sherlock is a bit of a tourist attraction apparently.”

“I thought he was all in London, Jack The Ripper an’ stuff.” I supplied.

“Guess he came here on his hols.” Mark chuckled.

We climbed alongside the roiling waters for a short way before we bumped to a halt.

“Must be our stop.” I supplied.
 
 

We disembarked and headed for the viewing platform, we weren’t at the top of the falls, the upper fall of the sequence crashed down from above creating a fine mist. Down below us was the rock ledge where, according to the information board, Sherlock fought with this Moriarty bloke, both of them falling to their deaths in the tumbling waters. It did look like falling into those waters would be pretty terminal.

A guy from the railway took some pics of us in front of the falls before we got our own photographic devices into action.

“Right everyone.” Dad vied for our attention.

It took a minute or two but we finally got Claire to shush.

“Okay folks, it’s about a twenty minute walk up to the restaurant, the path is a bit steep and slippery in places so be careful going up please, we don’t want any injuries.”

I’d forgotten we had more walking to do. We headed towards the path upwards and started the climb.

“Beat you to the top.” Daz challenged passing us at a trot.

Well a challenge is a challenge and what should have been a steady walk became an increasingly competitive scramble. I’m no runner it has to be said and I was soon left trailing my taller and longer legged companions. The final humiliation was when even Cav vanished out of sight up the trail leaving me panting and cursing up the path.

Reduced to not much more than a brisk walk it took me a further ten minutes before I reached the top.

“P’raps we need to confiscate his bike.” Geth suggested.

“Looks like the only way ta best him on the climbs.” Jamie agreed.

“Guys.”

“Nope there’s nothing for it, you’ll have to give up the polka dots, Drew.” Mark chortled.

“I never claimed to be a runner.” I pointed out.

“Excuses, excuses.” Laura giggled.

Yeah, even the girls all beat me to the top.

“So where’s this restaurant like?” Josh queried.

“What you asking me for?”

“Thought you were map reading on the way up.”

“Why you!” I started to chase after him but let’s face it, he was always gonna get away.

 
 
The adults arrived before I could show myself up any further.

“Stop larking around you two.”

“Yes, Dad.” I allowed with a sigh.

© Maddy Bell 18.01.14