Chapter 256 - 159: Living Up to Expectations, Clinching His First World Tour Triple Jersey
"The good news is that on the live standings, O’Connor has now fallen 20 seconds behind Huang Chong—"
"If he can’t overtake Huang Chong before the finish line, then even if Van Eetvelt ends up winning the Stage 7 title, we can go ahead and congratulate Huang Chong on winning the general classification for this year’s UAE Tour!!!"
"But will he give up on a stage win in this final battle, when it’s so close at hand?"
"Keep in mind, while Huang Chong has a commanding lead in the live general classification, he still hasn’t won a single stage in this World Tour event."
"Will he end up like Stephen Williams at the Tour of Australia, winning the general classification with the fastest overall time but without a single stage victory?!"
However, just as the announcer’s excited voice rang out, Huang Chong, who had spent about twenty seconds recovering in the saddle on a gentler incline, immediately got back up to attack out of the saddle.
He was now less than 200 meters from the final plateau at the summit.
And with this sprint, he instantly unleashed an explosive burst of over a thousand watts, a clear demonstration of the superior recovery ability granted by his world-record VO2 max.
Van Eetvelt reacted the instant Huang Chong got out of his saddle.
But the sheer power of this new anaerobic burst was far greater than Huang Chong’s previous long-range attack; it was on a level Van Eetvelt simply couldn’t match.
It was a pure difference in explosive power.
So Van Eetvelt could only watch, helpless, as Huang Chong shot forward like a cannonball, instantly widening the gap and charging toward the summit plateau just ahead!
At this sight, the cycling fans and commentators back home went absolutely wild!
The entire Bora Team coaching staff, following in the support car, also erupted into passionate roars!
Meanwhile, at the finish line, everyone was gathered on the team bus, which had arrived ahead of time to wait for the riders. As they watched the live broadcast, Chen Junyi, the Bora Team support staff, and even the cooks saw Huang Chong pull ahead, finally dropping the last Lotto cyclist, Van Eetvelt. They all erupted in a unified, exultant roar!
Because they all knew: Huang Chong had won!
He had lived up to everyone’s hopes. He hadn’t let down the team, which had pinned all its hopes for the general classification on his shoulders today.
In the end, with 1.2 kilometers to go, Huang Chong used the final 200-meter climb to successfully drop Van Eetvelt. He crested Jeb Hafeet Mountain alone, out in front. Then, he navigated the final kilometer of flat road and gentle downhill. Under the watchful eyes of the many dignitaries from the United Arab Emirates gathered by the finish arch, he was the first to cross the line, a picture of style and grace.
With his victory in Stage 7, he not only secured the Best Young Rider’s white jersey that he already wore, but he also claimed the red leader’s jersey from Vine and the King of the Mountains jersey from O’Connor.
In this final stage, he not only reversed the standings to win the overall title with a perfect individual performance, but he also achieved his first-ever jersey hat-trick on the World Tour stage!
And seeing this result, the team manager, Ralph Denke, leaped straight off his sofa at the German Bora Team headquarters.
Because he knew that signing Huang Chong on a rookie contract for just a few thousand euros a month was the deal of a lifetime. He had absolutely hit the jackpot!