Cycling: Racing into the Headwind

Everyone wants to see their favorite team or rider take the victory, but a scene this tense was simply too thrilling.

Races between evenly matched riders are the most heart-pounding and exciting.

Without riders in a league of their own like Pogačar or Vingegaard to dominate the field, the race had a different kind of neck-and-neck excitement.

Huang Chong’s decision to defend rather than attack wasn’t a choice—it was a necessity.

The batch of system supplies he had received early last year was long gone, depleted over a full year of high-intensity racing and training.

He had hoped that joining a World Tour Team this year would give him the chance to unlock another achievement medal and receive a large cache of supplies. As it turned out, however, these achievement medals weren’t so easy to trigger or complete.

Of course, his competitive level had improved to the point that even without cheating with system supplies, he wasn’t without a chance of winning.

At the very least, he could feel a final reserve of energy as the finish line drew closer.

This was the benefit of having ridden Jais Peak once before.

The last time, he had reached the summit finish with basically no energy left.

Jeb Hafeet Mountain was steeper, but it was also much shorter.

Plus, his teammates had been pulling for him throughout this entire stage. It was a stark contrast to Stage 3, where he had been the one serving as a lead-out and actively burning through his energy.

The finish line drew ever closer.

Watching Huang Chong’s group, which still contained seven or eight riders, the China Sports commentator’s voice grew hurried.

In races without any riders from China, his commentary was usually quite steady.

Even in the most tense moments, he could still make nonchalant jokes about the riders.

After all, when it wasn’t one of his country’s own, he didn’t care who won.

"Only 2km left in the race! Right now, besides Vismar and the Bora Team, every other team is down to a single rider."

"So we don’t have to worry about a repeat of what happened in Stage 3."

"Meanwhile, Huang Chong is about 20 meters behind Buchman, who’s been in the breakaway for the entire race."

"On this final part of the climb, with a gradient of only 5.1%, will he choose to attack, letting his teammate create a tactical launch for him?"

As the commentator’s slightly trembling voice came over the broadcast, every cycling fan in China was glued to their screens.

The race had reached its absolute climax.

A single moment of inattention could mean missing a rider’s attack.

They had been watching the live broadcast for a full three and a half hours; there was no way they would get distracted in the final few minutes.

Just as the commentator voiced his speculation, Huang Chong, who had been riding defensively all race, heard his team director’s voice in his earpiece:

"Huang, Buchman tells me he’s out of energy. How are you feeling?"

"If you’ve still got something in the tank, I think now is a good time to attack, before the chase group completely swallows him up."

"If you’re out of gas too, then just hold your position. As long as you stick with O’Connor safely until the 1km-to-go mark, it’ll come down to a sprint."

"As long as he doesn’t get the ten-second bonus for first place, you’ve basically locked up the overall title even if you finish one spot behind him."

"Those are the two options. Make the call based on how you’re feeling."

The moment the team director finished, Huang Chong bent over and tightened his cycling shoes.

Without a word, he rose from his saddle and hammered the pedals, instantly unleashing seven to eight hundred watts of power!

Seeing this, O’Connor instinctively tried to chase, but after just a few strokes out of the saddle, he realized he couldn’t keep up.

But it was the young Belgian from the Lotto Team, Van Eetvelt, who immediately latched onto Huang Chong’s wheel on the climb.

However, as Huang Chong launched his attack, Buchman, who was clinging to a small lead, was immediately notified by the team director.

And so, once Huang Chong bridged the gap, Buchman, with teeth gritted and a pained grimace, gave him one last pull for about 50 meters before completely cracking.

But those 50 meters were enough. Riding anaerobically, Huang Chong used the momentum to power up the 5.1% grade and onto the only flatter section of road before the summit.

He used this short, 30-meter plateau to get back in the saddle, ease off the power, and gulp for air.

At this moment, Van Eetvelt of the Lotto Team was still glued to his wheel.

Like Huang Chong, this rider was a breakthrough star at the UAE Tour. Neither of them had ever achieved any notable results on the World Tour circuit before.

"Huang Chong has launched an attack at the 2km mark!!"

"O’Connor of the Decathlon Team and Van Wilder of the Quick Step Team tried to respond, but they gave up after just a few strokes out of the saddle! It looks like they’re completely spent!!"

"Only the young gun from the Lotto Team, Van Eetvelt, has managed to stay with Huang Chong!!"

"This is incredible!!"

"Who would’ve thought! In the final moments of this World Tour race, it’s two newcomers battling it out at the front! The pre-race favorites like Vine, O’Connor, and Van Wilder—the so-called ’Little Evenepoel’—none of them could follow these two!"

"Now the two of them are the first to reach the only flat section before the summit. Who is going to win the final showdown of this tour?!"