The shadorma is a 6-line syllabic poem of 3-5-3-3-7-5 syllable lines, said to have originated in Spain.
Birds of Prey (Stage 10 — Valladolid > Valladolid) Like swooping Falcons, the riders Dive around The streets named After national poets. The cheering city, Sun and sweat Soaked, lines up against Barricades To see those Birds of prey hunt mere seconds On the long, flat course. It is known That the red jersey On this day Will lose time To sharper-taloned rivals, Even to teammates. A hungry Defense of red takes Flight. Pain on The menu. Today, worthiness is priced As solo effort.
The Haze of Distance (Stage 11 — Lerma > La Laguna Negra. Vinuesa ) A quiet Day for the leaders. A big break Steams forward On arrow-like roads that pierce Field and forest. Peace In the bunch, No wind to vex them. Sunlight warms Both riders And roads. A range of mountains, Spotted with dark gray And black lakes, Rises in the haze Of distance. A road like Lava flow leads to the base Of the climb, and they Cannot wait Any more. Riders From the break Charge forward, Fade on the incline. Behind, A neutralized race Creeps slow like An incoming tide. A savvy Veteran Hits the line, falls into his Keyed-up swanny’s arms. Surprise (Stage 12 — Ólvega > Zaragoza) Another Rest day for the heads Of the race In essence. The wheels of the peloton Are whispering through Fields of dry Grass. Past crops singing With thirst. Past Sharp gorges That look quite prehistoric. After many hours Spent toiling On dune-like rollers, The sprint trains String along Urban streets. From this chaos, A lead-out surprise.
Controlled Demolition (Stage 13 — Formigal. Huesca la Magia > Col du Tourmalet) Warm sunlight. Mountain towns wedged next To cold streams. Green forests. It seems like a normal day. But it’s not at all. It’s a day Of huge climbs. The make Or break stage Of the race. The day starts reasonably Hard. Uphill. No one Can escape. They try, of course. But The menace Of the strong Black-and-yellow super team Claps them in irons. The race swells And stretches. It lacks Worries for A time. But On the first especial Slope, riders Begin to lose touch. The day shifts, And alarm bells sound. Challengers Falter, then Drop. The day veering toward The incredulous. At the front, There’s a sense of both Belief and Relief as They churn quietly onward Until they enter The final Climb. There, the race bursts Open, but In a show Of controlled demolition. The podium swept.
Grim Tenacity (Stage 14 — Sauveterre-de-Béarn > Larra-Belagua) Is it time To move beyond hope And cement The road’s proof That a win is expected In lit-up Madrid? The loyal Lieutenant. Will he Find himself On the top Step, hoisting the night’s trophy? Someone from the team Will, it seems. They let the break form, Crest the peaks On their own, Clean, white light reflecting off The bald mountain tops. Now, the race Seems to be open Only to Redemption. Every day a lesson in grim tenacity.
Tactics and Ploys (Stage 15 — Pamplona > Lekunberri) The finish Is in sight. One week Down, one more To go. Games Are being played in the hills. Breakaways are chased Down. At the Chaotic front end, Watts burn hot. The dam breaks Finally, a few riders Streaming out before Being corked Again. The race grinds Through small towns, Then attacks Fly and halt. These tactics and Ploys don’t often work. And again This is nearly how It plays out. A brave chase From erstwhile break companions fails as age conquers.