Tuesday Extra: True story (In your dreams)

I was riding in the Tour De France.  It was stage 10.  It wasn't the Tourist L'Etape, but the actual Stage.  I don't know why they allowed me to ride, but it seemed natural at the time.  I was in the lead group of 10 as we hit the final climb.  I was being dropped as we approached the summit.  There were 8 ahead as Fabian Cancellera and I reached the summit, him about 50 yards in front of me.  But now came the descent.  I knew that I would catch Fabian and he had the skill to catch the rest of them.

As we got to the bottom though, I hadn't closed the gap to Cancellara.  Oh also, we were not on bikes anymore.  We were lying on the street, sliding down the hill like some sort of lycra-clad otters.

Anyway, I never did catch up to Fabian Cancellera, but with no one at all behind me and about a quarter mile to go, I was content to finish in the top 10.  Then I realized I had taken a wrong turn.

I had to backtrack and find the right road.  I found it, but didn't know if anyone had gotten ahead of me while I was looking for it.  Then I saw a woman in front of me.  She was racing as well.  Tenth may have already been gone, but I didn't know for sure.  I had to beat her if I wanted any chance at what I felt I deserved.

Unfortunately for me, the very last section of the race went over a swimming pool.  We had to swim the width (not the length).  In the middle of the pool, there was a couple concrete barriers.   I had to climb over those and get back in the water to cross the finish line.  I never even came close to catching the girl.  I ended up 11th place and in my mind - a complete and utter failure.  Not because I beat 180 Pro cyclists, but because Shim was at the finish line, pointing and mocking, saying, "You got beat by a girl!"