Cycling: Racing into the Headwind

It didn’t have a single climbing point, which meant this was a very flat stage, suitable only for the teams’ lead sprinters...

Notably, the section of the stage from the starting arch to the first intermediate sprint point at the 53.5-kilometer mark was a completely straight road with no turns whatsoever.

A stage like this wasn’t suited for our nation’s own climber, Huang Chong—who joined the Bora Team this new season—to contend for the victory.

So, from the very start of the race, we could clearly see Huang Chong choosing to stick with his team’s climbing leaders, riding steadily within the peloton...

Also, I know everyone is very curious about Huang Chong’s role and responsibilities on the team for the Tour of the United Arab Emirates. We learned directly from the Bora Team’s official sources that his assigned role for this tour is team lieutenant.

Compared to the Tour of Australia, where he was responsible for delivering supplies to his teammates, it’s clear that his standing on the team has significantly improved for this UAE Tour.

According to the Bora Team’s plan, his main task this time is to support two of the team’s climbers—Zwiehoff and Buchman, who is wearing the German national champion’s jersey—in their fight for the overall General Classification!

As the commentator spoke, the comment and bullet-screen sections on the streaming platform immediately began to fill with messages from fans watching the live broadcast:

[Awesome! Just as I predicted, Huang Chong isn’t a water boy anymore!]

[Of course! The Bora Team would have to be out of their minds to make a champion rider a water boy!]

[Exactly. No matter how arrogant those Europeans are, they have to know that if they made a champion a water boy, the team would get absolutely shredded online!]

[I really hope Huang Chong can win the GC in the UAE Tour!]

[Let’s go, Huang Chong! Go, go, go!]

...

In fact, just as the fans back home were saying, after winning two stages and finishing fifth in the general classification at the Tour of Australia, it was practically impossible for Huang Chong to be relegated to a water boy again, as long as he maintained his form.

However, even though Zwiehoff had lost to him head-to-head during the Tour of Australia, the team’s top brass still felt it remained to be seen whether Huang Chong could consistently maintain his competitive form.

Of course, the advantage of being a lieutenant is that, unlike a water boy, you don’t have to spend the entire race serving and sacrificing for your teammates, unable to join any attacks.

During a race, especially in the decisive moments, if a lieutenant finds that the team leader can’t keep up and they still have energy to spare, they can communicate with the team director and get permission to continue competing against the other teams’ leaders.

Therefore, on a flat stage that didn’t suit his strengths, the best choice for Huang Chong was to conserve his energy and avoid any unnecessary exertion.

After the race began, two riders from the Italian Corratec Team, one of the four Professional Teams invited, Marco Murgano and Mark Stewart, were the first to form a breakaway group.

The peloton had no reaction, allowing the two riders to pull further and further away. They gradually opened up a three-and-a-half-minute gap, taking the points and time bonuses from the stage’s two intermediate sprints.

The two breakaway riders were only reeled in by the peloton when there were just 20 kilometers left to the finish, a point where all the teams’ support cars had already arrived to set up roadside feed zones.

At the 10-kilometer mark, Huang Chong, who had been riding conservatively all stage, quickly regrouped with his teammates. They began to form their lead-out train within the peloton to help their main sprinter, Welsford, find the optimal position at the front.

By the final two kilometers, as the various teams’ sprint trains formed at the front of the pack, he, the two climbing leaders, and the domestiques dutifully fell back to the rear of the group.

As a GC Cyclist, pulling away when the sprint trains are about to launch their attack is fundamental race sense.

Otherwise, one elbow from the side from one of those brawny, simple-minded brutes could end your season, and that would be getting off easy.

Entering the final kilometer, the Bora Team employed the same tactic from the Tour of Australia, with Mullen and Van Boppel taking turns leading out Welsford.

However, as the race entered the final sprint and the entire peloton furiously accelerated, a crash suddenly occurred on the left side of the course with only a couple hundred meters to go.

As a result, all the GC Cyclists positioned behind the sprint groups were caught in the chaos. They immediately began to pile up, one after another, crashing into a heap like a scene of carnage.

The instant the crash occurred in the group, Huang Chong was caught up in it as well. A Jieke Cyclist beside him lost his balance and veered directly into him.

In a massive pile-up like this, being in the middle of the group meant that even the best bike-handling skills were useless.

But waiting for the inevitable wasn’t his style. His first instinct was to unclip his shoes. The instant before the Jieke Cyclist collided with him, he leaped off his bike and away from the frame.

Immediately after, he felt as if he’d been hit by a wrecking ball as the Jieke Cyclist slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.

Fortunately, although he felt a dull pain, he had managed to get clear of his bike. Huang Chong only suffered some minor road rash from the fall and was otherwise unharmed.

As for the Jieke Cyclist, Huang Chong had managed to push him with both hands just before they fell, preventing the other rider from getting his legs tangled in his bike and risking a more serious injury.