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As is usually the case, with any Amazing Race task that involves selling anything, it is best to go with the pretty girl. So, Lexi is clearly the frontrunner on this task, while Ryan struggles with this equipment. She credits her cheerleading background but I credit the fact that it is a market full of men and she is only female doing the task so far.

Elsewhere and another elsewhere, Team Beefcake is done with their scrub and Team Beekman is at their first delivery with monster truckers right on their tail.

Creatively, the underperforming Ryan has struck a deal with a man to help sell to his friends for a percentage of the proceeds. It sounds perfectly legitimate in the context of the game, as long as he turns over 40 liras at the end.

Lexi is the first one done and they are heading to the Pitstop at the harbor. Of course, one of the twins spouts off to the camera that Team Longhorn deserves a first place win, or rather they do as long as it’s not Abbie & Ryan. Abbie overhears this and relays what she heard to Ryan when he finishes next. That is probably just more fuel to this highly competitive team. Headbangers’ Ball is done next. It’s a sprint to the Pitstop for three teams or rather for two teams and a slow hobble for another team (James & Abba).

And the first team on the mat is Team Longhorn. They are rewarded with a prize vacation and yet there is no mention made of the stolen money incident and their role. Abbie & Ryan are the next ones at the Pitstop and seem to not be as disappointed at a second place finish as the last leg.

Back-to-back Team Beekman and monster truckers have finished their Simit Detour and Josh & Brent get to the Roadblock first. As Brent suits up, he only sees James of Team Beefcake because Natalie & Nadiaya have also finished the Roadblock and are in fourth place for now.

While James earns his living performing with his Chippendales brethren and selling that fantasy to a bunch of women, he is unable to sell as successfully to random Turkish bazaar customers. That is, until all the ladies start showing up. Several eager females later, Team Beefcake is done and leaving Josh & Brent and Rob & Kelley to duke it out for last place.

Meanwhile, James & Abba are checked in as number three and the twins are number four. Phil lets me down by not addressing the unsportsmanlike act by them toward another team. Maybe that means that if you happen to go into someone’s bag and take their passports so that they get the Justin & Zev-like elimination, that is cool too. It was just an underhanded and dirty move. There is no way I can be convinced of it otherwise, especially given how proud they were of themselves for doing it.

Team Beekman leaves the Roadblock but are just sitting in traffic. They solve the congested street problems by getting out of their cab and directing traffic to clear a path. Pretty ingenious, really. I may have underestimated these guys’ desire and fight to stay on the race.

Team Beefcake is checked in as number five and the editing tries to make us believe that Rob & Kelley have a shot at passing Josh & Brent but not so much. Team Beekman is relieved to hear they are number six. And they use this Pitstop as yet another chance to tell their “no quitting” farm story.

So that, of course, means that Rob & Kelley are last and eliminated from the race. With some touching words about his love of Kelley and some embarrassingly awful dance moves, our monster truckers are gone.

Next week, the teams head to Russia and there is a promise of missed flights by Abbie & Ryan and Josh & Brent. But since David Mumpower and Kim Hollis will be filling in for me, it will probably be another non-elimination leg.

Have a good couple weeks, folks.

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