“It is widely known that the Chinese are interested in cornering the market for raw materials in general.”

Klaastens had shrugged and nodded. Having heard that information, he had become Berman’s accomplice of sorts. Ultimately he didn’t care about the details in that he valued his job more than he cared about the answers to any questions he had. Klaastens figured he had enough deniability should anything untoward happen. The two walked back to the Chinese men and Klaastens addressed the translator.

“Please assure the gentlemen that our team is very grateful for their support for the whole team, and we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership. We just want reassurance that their riders will continue to be team players. Although a lot of people don’t know it, cycling is, in the final analysis, a team sport.”

“Well put,” Berman had said, who then had taken his leave before Klaastens put on a demonstration of the prowess and speed of the team, particularly the two new Chinese riders.

At the desk in the Four Seasons, Berman finished up his emails. He looked at his watch and wondered if he had time for one more dish of fried gnocchi. He found he loved the food in Milan, especially at the cheaper restaurants. His new favorite dish was beyond delicious, but healthwise they weren’t such a good idea. Berman wouldn’t dream of eating such a thing at home, which made them so much more alluring.

These had been a fun few days. He found that Milan had an exciting nightlife, which he had avidly taken in, with Jimmy as a surprisingly knowledgeable guide. He found certain venues in which there was a seemingly endless chain of attractive women from Eastern Europe, particularly the Czech Republic and Hungary. As a result, he was looking forward to a long sleep on the way home.

With Jimmy, he’d visited the team a few more times in training after that first visit. He reminded the doctors who worked with the riders that they should be sure to follow the protocols they had established. Security was paramount. Never carry anything yourself—use the couriers. And remember, the riders couldn’t win. They should be consistently fast, but always ride in support of the team leader. It was likely, especially on this year’s course, that they would be much stronger than the leader, but at all costs they had to hold back, even if they felt strong enough to sprint ahead. The idea was just to introduce their presence, no more at this stage.

There would be ample opportunity down the road for heroics. After all, as far as the Chinese were concerned, that was what this was all about.

Chapter 29

29.

NANO, LLC, BOULDER, COLORADO

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2013, 1:07 P.M. (FIVE DAYS LATER)