Cycling: Racing into the Headwind

Chapter 102: Chapter 92: The Unsolvable Genius: Can Carry Teammates and Win Championships with Ease

As a leader in the China Bicycle Association, Coach Han had been notified before the end of the year that he would also be taking on the position of head coach for the National Team’s road cycling program.

For him, the pressure of this job was undoubtedly immense.

Not only were the Asian Championships in June fast approaching, but the Asian Games were also scheduled for the end of the year.

The first of these races was especially critical, as it determined whether the country could secure an early qualification spot for the road cycling event at next year’s Paris Olympic Games.

To achieve a good result at the Asian Championships, selecting the right team roster was paramount.

This year, the China Bicycle Association had taken the lead, partnering with local governments to organize a national road cycling league. This was partly to capitalize on the growing public enthusiasm for the sport, and partly to accelerate the development of professional cycling in the country.

And as the first two races of the season, held right before the Asian Championships, their importance was self-evident.

In a way, the Association was using them to form a preliminary roster for the National Team.

As head coach, he had to be there in person to assess the quality of the competition and, more importantly, to scout for exceptional talent during these two races.

Even though he already had a National Team roster on hand, it was based on submissions from the various provinces last year.

After a long winter off-season, the current form of the riders on that list was a complete unknown.

On this trip to Mang City, the rider he was most focused on was undoubtedly Huang Chong—the Zhejiang Team cyclist who had burst onto the scene at last year’s National Championships, snatching two gold medals right from under the Longjiang Team’s noses.

Huang Chong wasn’t on the main roster for the National Team yet. If his performance this year was as impressive as before, Coach Han would certainly have to add him.

Then, through an internal selection process, they would see if his overall performance could place him in the top five, earning him a spot to represent the National Team at this year’s Asian Championships.

The selection process within the state-run system was always like this—it required careful observation and multiple layers of evaluation before a final decision could be made.

They wouldn’t make a rash decision based on a rider’s past achievements alone.

Huang Chong had certainly impressed him last year, but that was several months ago.

How he performed this year was Coach Han’s primary concern.

Right now, he wasn’t putting on the airs of a senior official. Dressed in plain clothes, he was squeezed in with the local residents and cycling fans right before the finish-line arch.

He watched as the country’s top-tier cyclists, after more than 90 kilometers of high-intensity racing, began to accelerate at around the 200-meter mark.

But his eyes remained locked on a distant rider in a blue and white kit—a Hengxiang Team cyclist astride a Lightning road bike.

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As Huang Chong reached the 200-meter-to-go sign, he was still riding shoulder to shoulder with the cyclists from other teams.

He glanced back at Brother Xiaoma, gave a nod, and then without another moment’s hesitation, he shifted his hands to the drops. His powerful, defined glutes lifted swiftly from the saddle.

His back immediately arched, and with his head—clad in an aero helmet and goggles—tucked down as low as possible, he adopted a highly aerodynamic posture. His legs exploded with kilowatt-level power, furiously stomping on the pedals.

Brother Xiaoma, tucked in right behind him, reacted instantly to the signal. He also rose from his saddle, mashing the pedals and locking onto Huang Chong’s wheel to draft in his slipstream.

The riders from the other teams saw Huang Chong suddenly launch his attack at the 200-meter mark and cursed internally. ’Why the hell is this guy going so early?’

After all, they weren’t World Tour Cyclists. Starting an all-out anaerobic sprint from this far out, they’d probably blow up before they even reached the line!

Their optimal sprinting distance, after all, was around 150 meters.

But since the rider with the best chance of winning had already launched his sprint, how could they dare hesitate?

What if Huang Chong could actually sustain a 200-meter sprint? It would only take him about twenty seconds.

If they didn’t follow immediately, they’d be left for dead.

So, with no other choice and no time to think, they all shot up from their saddles the instant Huang Chong made his move. They began rocking their bikes, desperately trying to match his kilowatt power as they hammered the cranks.

Based on standard calculations of cycling speed and wattage, a 65-kilogram rider needs about 350 watts to maintain 50 km/h.

But to reach an average speed of 55 km/h, that number climbs to nearly 450-500 watts.

And to raise the average speed above 60 km/h, the power output would have to practically double.

Without putting out a kilowatt of power, it’s simply impossible.

Therefore, Huang Chong held nothing back in this sprint, unleashing his maximum power output from the very beginning.

In the first five seconds especially, his bike computer showed his power spiking to 1150 watts, and his speed rocketing to 61 km/h.

But after only ten seconds, his power had already dropped to 900 watts.

This was the absolute limit of his current explosive power.

Compared to the top-tier sprinters on the World Tour, he was still a long way off.

But for Brother Xiaoma—now less than a hundred meters from the finish and having enjoyed a comfortable draft the entire time—it was more than enough. Huang Chong’s willingness to lead out for a full ten seconds from the 200-meter mark, even at the risk of blowing up, had given him the perfect setup.

The instant Huang Chong felt his power drop significantly, he didn’t hesitate. With a sharp flick of his handlebars, he pulled off the optimal sprinting line, leaving the now completely open road ahead clear for Brother Xiaoma.

The moment the road opened up and the slipstream vanished, Brother Xiaoma understood. He decisively stomped on the pedals, increasing his cadence and holding absolutely nothing back.

This was his shot at the title, an opportunity Huang Chong had created by pushing himself to his absolute limit. He couldn’t possibly let it go to waste.