Cycling: Racing into the Headwind

After Paris-Nice and the Double Sea Race concluded, the next event on the World Tour calendar was Milan-San Remo. One of the five major Monuments of cycling, it was the first of the season, set to take place in Italy in six days, on March 16.

For the Bora Team, this race was one they had absolutely no chance of winning.

Never mind that the field was packed with top-tier talent; the Bora Team itself lacked elite sprinters and classics specialists.

Looking at this year's roster of competitors, the list of favorites alone was enough to make Sports Director Aldag's vision go dark.

At the top of that list was the UAE Team's Pogačar.

Then there were van der Poel and Philipsen of the Alpecin Team; Michael Matthews of the Jieke Team; Mads Pedersen and Jasper Stuyven of the Trek Team; Alberto Bettiol of the EF Education Team; Mohorič of the Bahrain Team; Olav Kooij of the Visma Team; Stefan King of the FDJ Team; Filippo Ganna and Thomas Pidcock of the Ineos Grenadiers Team; Julian Alaphilippe of the Quick Step Team; and so on.

In short, with a lineup composed of such elite classics riders and sprinters, no matter who the Bora Team sent, even hoping for a top-ten finish was pure fantasy.

Huang Chong, of course, was eager to compete. Whether he could achieve a good result was another question, but just competing on the same stage as these masters would at least let him gain valuable experience in one-day races.

However, he knew the team would never let him go.

The reason was simple: if they made him a domestique, there was frankly no one on the team worth supporting.

But if they made him the team leader, his current abilities weren't yet up to snuff.

'After all, even Pogačar, a GC Cyclist just like him and currently the best in the world, had never managed to win on this course. What chance did he stand at this point in his career?'

Aldag mulled it over for a long time before replying with a frown:

"Ralph, I understand what you're saying, of course. But I can't send a rookie to lead the team at Milan-San Remo. Besides, that course isn't suited for our team to be competitive on anyway."

"Then figure something out! Find some races that are suitable for him. Let him get a feel for being a team leader first!"

Ralph Denke said, his expression unreadable.

"Isn't the calendar packed with one-day races right now?

If World Tour races are out, then look for Pro Level ones.

And if that doesn't work, find some Class 1 or Class 2 races. The cost of trial and error is low for these lower-level one-day events, isn't it?

He signed a contract with us, which means he follows the team's orders. It doesn't matter what level the race is; if we need him to ride, he rides.

Besides, we desperately need wins, Rolf. Do you understand?

The new shareholders are about to inject capital into the team. Before the Tour de France begins, we have to demonstrate some real strength or potential. That's the only way they'll have greater confidence in their investment!"

Aldag sighed inwardly at his words.

'From the outside, his position seemed powerful and influential, but when it came to roster decisions, he often found himself in an impossible bind.

The Bora Team had ten German riders, making it practically a national team. He had to provide all of them with enough race days to develop.

Then there were the core riders, whose contracts explicitly stipulated a certain number of race appearances.

On top of that, a few riders were pushed onto the team by sponsors—the kind who brought their own funding—and they also required a guaranteed number of race starts.

The roster was indeed large this season, but forging a race-winning squad from all those moving parts wasn't something you could just throw together.

The only way to put it was that the team's start to the season at the Tour of Australia and the UAE Tour had been a little too successful, with results far exceeding expectations.

As a result, now that all the teams' core rosters were starting to face off, any failure by the Bora Team's top riders to get good results would make him, the Sports Director, look exceptionally incompetent.'

Aldag considered this for a long moment, then replied with a sigh:

"I understand, Ralph. I'll find suitable races and have our standout riders go after more wins!"

Hearing this, Denke finally nodded in satisfaction.

Then, before Aldag could leave the office, he made sure to add:

"Wins, Rolf! You said it yourself. Remember, wins are what's crucial for us!"

...

After returning to the team headquarters, Aldag quickly put together the roster for Milan-San Remo, which was only six days away.

Arranging the lineup for this top-tier classic was actually easy; with no real hopes of winning, all the team could do was their best.

Besides Milan-San Remo, there were also four Pro Level one-day races scheduled over the next few days:

The Nokere Koerse (Danilith Nokere Koerse), held in Belgium on March 13.

The Milan-Turin Race (Milano - Torino), held in Italy on March 13.

The Grand Prix de Denain - Porte du Hainaut, held in France on March 14.

The Bredene-Koksijde Classic, held in Belgium on March 15.

However, aside from the Milan-Turin Race, the other three were primarily flat courses, which didn't align with the Bora Team's objectives.

As for the Milan-Turin Race, while it was a second-tier Pro Level event, it was also one of the oldest classic cycling races in Europe.

It was first held in 1876, and despite some interruptions over the years, this year would mark its 104th edition.