Cycling: Racing into the Headwind

"Oh my goodness!"

"Look at the speed of this Chinese rider on the descent! Our national hero, the 2019 Tour of Flanders champion, Bettiol, looks like a complete amateur in front of him!"

"The lines they're taking through the corners on this descent are night and day. This Chinese rider is just so smooth!"

"It's unbelievable! I'm sure the Bora Team must have had their riders scout this route yesterday. But look at this Chinese rider—the way he handles every corner, you'd think he was a local, born in Vala Town or Korner Town—"

"Oh? How so, my friend?"

"Because this Chinese rider clearly knows our country's rural roads from Milan to Turin better than Bettiol does!"

When the two hosts of the Italian cycling channel saw their local rider get dropped by Huang Chong on the steep climb, their live commentary was filled with little more than groans of frustration and disappointment.

But after the summit, as Huang Chong descended through the forested roads of Praskorsano, their tone changed. He pushed his speed to nearly 90 km/h, yet before every turn, he had already chosen his line. He would cut in from the outside with surgical precision, hit the apex, and then glide through the entire corner, leaning in as gracefully as a swallow. The speed and fluidity born from such masterful bike handling left them with nothing but pure admiration.

This mastery of the terrain was, just as the commentators said, something you would only expect from a local who was born and raised between those two towns.

Someone who had to travel back and forth on this mountain road every day for work, for their livelihood, or just to get around, embedding every complex, winding curve into their memory.

But Huang Chong was from China. He had set foot on Italian soil for the first time only yesterday. With at most a single day to familiarize himself with the route, he was already riding with such confidence and effortless skill.

How could they not be shocked?

Meanwhile, on live streaming platforms in China, the hosts broadcasting the race were having a similar reaction. Even though they couldn't understand the original Italian commentary, seeing Huang Chong's performance on the descent with their own eyes made them gasp in amazement:

"Let's go, everyone! This attack from Huang Chong is absolutely insane!

First, he dropped Bettiol from the EF Education Team on the 11.6% maximum gradient, and now he's using this downhill attack to stretch his lead even further.

He's already opened up a 45-second gap on Bettiol. And the peloton? He's left them 1 minute and 15 seconds behind in the blink of an eye.

With this kind of top-tier ability in the Classics, he feels like the next Pogačar!"

Hearing the streamer's excited commentary, the viewers in the chat started frantically asking questions. One person typed:

[Hey streamer, do you think Huang Chong can hold this lead all the way to the finish?]

The streamer immediately replied:

"Thanks for the question! In my opinion, with only 20 kilometers left, this race is his to lose. There's still a long, gradual climb with an average gradient of 3.9%, but a climb like that is almost too easy for Huang Chong.

Plus, his teammates are controlling the pace in the peloton right now. They're certainly not going to help the main group chase down their own team leader.

So, if Bettiol can't catch Huang Chong before the summit of the next climb, Huang Chong is definitely taking this one solo all the way to the line."

[Streamer, if Huang Chong really wins the Milan-Turin Race, do you think he'll get a chance to ride in the five consecutive Classics in Belgium that start on the 20th?]

"If he wins, there's definitely a chance. We all need to have faith in him.

Ultimately, though, it's up to the Bora Team's upper management to decide.

Of course, I'm just like all of you—I hope Huang Chong starts showing up in top World Tour races soon, maybe even riding in the major Classics.

However, the start lists for Milan-San Remo in three days and the Catalonia Tour in five days have already been released by the Bora Team, and our man, Huang Chong, is not on them!

Of course, Pogačar from the UAE Team will be in both of those races, so you can all still tune in on time. I'll be broadcasting both races from start to finish—"

...

"Huang, you've opened a gap of almost a minute on Bettiol. After you pass through Korner Town, the next climb, Colleretto Castelnuovo, will be right ahead.

Just get over this climb, and he'll be completely out of contention.

As for the peloton, you're about a minute and a half ahead of them now.

The riders from UAE Team are pushing the pace hard, but our guys are marking their every move. Just hold your current speed and power, and neither Bettiol nor the peloton will be able to catch you."

Aldag's voice kept crackling over the radio, doing its best to suppress the excitement he clearly felt.

As the team director, he couldn't pop the champagne before the race was over; there was no celebrating early.

Huang Chong knew the team car, with the coaching staff inside, was right behind his solo breakaway. There was no need to reply; he just had to keep attacking with everything he had.

As a top-tier time trialist, a solo breakaway was perfectly suited to his abilities.

His riding posture allowed him to stay in a highly aerodynamic position for long periods, and his ability to ride at his threshold was incredibly durable. Bettiol was a minute behind him... did he really think he stood a chance of catching up?