The powers that be aren’t fooling around on this season of The Amazing Race (Wednesdays at 9pET on CTV)—technically they’re clowning around if the second episode was any indication. After making its first keep-on-racing elimination ever in last week’s premiere, the series pulled out a Yield in Wednesday night’s continuation, and it definitely created some extra pressure.

Licking their wounds

What better way to lick your wounds than at an actual salt mine? As teased last week, the teams flew to Bogota where they were sent straight away to the Nemocón Salt Mine. There, they searched for 10- or 20-minute Yield hourglasses to potentially use later on in the game, then signed up for one of two departure times. Footballers DeAngelo and Gary knew they had to bring it after coming in tenth last week, and they hustled to find a 20-minute yield to reclaim their lead. Everyone loves an underdog, and although it’s safe to say that professional athletes aren’t exactly underdogs on this race, the fact that the “brothers from another mother” were able to bounce back from last place definitely makes them more endearing.Something that wasn’t so endearing? Watching the 10 teams have a big old sleepover in the salt mine together after everyone nabbed their hourglasses. Tucked in all over the floor in their sleeping bags they reminded you of sardines in a can, which isn’t just an uncomfortable way to (not) get some shuteye; in these COVID times, it can leave a viewer feeling a little… uncomfortable, too (even though this filmed way before the pandemic hit). How times have changed…[video_embed id='2045062']RELATED: New book follows a Canadian journalist as he experiences a world in lockdown [/video_embed]

Bad cabs and bad luck, an Amazing Race tradition

The next morning, the teams fled in two batches to find artifacts at a local bell tower. The only problem? Local traffic was giving everyone serious anxiety. Nothing is worse than when you’re in a race and the freeway is more like a parking lot.Scratch that—something can be worse. Like when your cab driver doesn’t know where he’s going, and his phone is dead and he’s lent his charger to another driver. Kellie and LaVonne were the unlucky team in that exact situation this week, and given that they were already struggling last week after the steel pan drum challenge, it didn’t exactly help their overall race.The duo proved once again how resilient they are by trying to navigate based on a map (maps—remember those?) but it put them even further behind. That’s the thing with this race. You can be the strongest team around, but one bad cab can ruin your entire game. It happens every single season, and typically to fan favourites like the sprinters/hurdlers.

Taxi drivers can really make or break you in the race! #AmazingRace

— Caleb (@CalebWH25) October 22, 2020

Clowning around

Luckily for Kellie and LaVonne they weren’t the only ones who got tripped up along the way. When the teams arrived at the Road Block (where every single one of them chose NOT to yield anyone else like the nice Racers that they are), they learned it was off to clown school. There, one member from each team got to spin in a giant wheel before walking a tight rope while balancing a bottle of wine and glasses.

Wine Wednesday, anyone? ?? #AmazingRace pic.twitter.com/GzGXez9sFd

— The Amazing Race (@AmazingRaceCBS) October 22, 2020

It must have looked harder than it was because almost everyone nailed it on their first attempt. Everyone except for Alana, that is. For some reason she got up in her head and dropped the bottle, and had a hard time recovering. That put her and Leo, Kaylynn and Haley, Jerry and Frank, Will and James, and LaVonne and Kellie in the bottom half together when they finally arrived at the next task: a parking lot, where they had to decorate a truck.

Read. Your. Clues.

Not only did the teams have to decorate the trucks, but they had to hook up a horn. It was right there in the clue, but that extra step tripped everyone up. Chee and Hung were the first to reread the clue and make sure they hadn’t missed anything. That smarty-pants move catapulted them to their second first-place finish, landing them a trip to Switzerland in the process. Considering this race is their honeymoon after years and years of marriage, it’s kind of fitting that they can now go somewhere where they’ll actually relax.

1st place twice in a row. Who is doing it like them?#AmazingRace pic.twitter.com/ITcshR3TuT

— Mel ?? (@melbrown00) October 22, 2020

Underdogs footballers DeAngelo and Gary were close behind, and volleyball pros Riley and Maddison spiked their way to third. Eswar and Aparna, and Michelle and Victoria rounded out fourth and fifth place. Meanwhile back in the parking lot, superfans Will and James fought over whether or not to reread the clue when they couldn’t understand what was wrong with their truck, and it left them mortified when they finally realized their mistake.

When you tell your Superfan boyfriend that rereading the clue is not going to solve your problems and then you reread the clue and it solves your problems #TAR32 #AmazingRace pic.twitter.com/pdisB4rm3S

— Ryan ? (@suRYvor) October 22, 2020

The pair were “so annoyed” with themselves that they forgot to be quiet about it, and they accidentally tipped off Leo and Alana. They, in turn, told Kaylynn and Haley about the horn, but they didn’t tell Frank and Jerry or LaVonne and Kellie. That move didn’t sit well with a lot of viewers at home since, you'll note, those two were the only other teams left comprised of people of colour. That left those four in a tight race to the finish.

Oof not Leo and Alana struggling in the next leg after not helping Jerry & Frank and Kellie & LaVonne? #TAR #AmazingRace pic.twitter.com/x7bW2yaKnT

— BigBroWatcher |BLM| (@BigBroWatcher22) October 22, 2020

So out of six people they only tell the two white girls saying “we like them” ??♂️??♂️??♂️ so they didn‘t like the other four??? #AmazingRace

— Willie Lum Lum (@LumWillie) October 22, 2020

Had it been an actual footrace there’s no doubt that the sprinters—who beat racing goats last week—would have nailed it. But once again they all had to jump in cabs and unfortunately for them everyone else got to the mat first. That meant the women were eliminated, and fans had to say goodbye to some early favourties way too soon.“We worked really hard. Another life adventure under the belt,” Kellie said after they got the bad news. The good news? She and LaVonne are closer than ever—they even hugged “about four times” on this race, which is four more times than they’ve ever hugged before. (Hugs—remember those?)And with that the friends said goodbye, and the rest of the teams got ready for some big adventures next week in Brazil. Here’s hoping everyone’s cabs are ready to go.Watch The Amazing Race Wednesdays at 9 pET on CTV.[video_embed id='-1']BEFORE YOU GO: Great Danes play in their lion Halloween costumes [/video_embed]