Cycling: Racing into the Headwind

Chapter 108: Chapter 95: Selected for the National Team, a Leader Requests a Move to the Professional League

"Champion!!!"

"That cyclist from the Hengxiang Team, Huang Chong—he won the road race, too!!!"

"I’m in awe. The kid is a monster! It feels like this whole Mang City Station race was organized just for him!!"

"Seriously incredible! Out of four events, not only did he snag two gold medals for himself, but he also helped a teammate win another. The Hengxiang Continental Team is going on a rampage this year!!!"

"Just what you’d expect from last year’s national champion! Even after the New Year, he’s still in red-hot form. He’s probably going to dominate every race this year!!!"

...

After Huang Chong was the first to cross the finish line, he was met by his team’s staff and led to a stationary bike in the support area to cool down. As he did, the buzz of excited discussion around him spread through the crowd like wildfire.

Although he hadn’t yet become a household name in China’s national cycling scene, he had, at the very least, left a deep impression on the local community in Mang City.

Especially when all the cyclists in the road race had finished and he once again stood on the champion’s podium, a gold medal around his neck and a bouquet of flowers in his hands, the fans at the scene erupted in frenzied applause and cheers for him.

After the awards for the individual race were presented, the event organizers immediately began to present the award for the best men’s team.

Having swept three gold medals and placed seventh in the TTT, the Hengxiang Team was undoubtedly the best team of the competition.

They had become the team to watch in the new season.

The six cyclists, plus the team manager and assistant coach Chen Junyi, all went up on the champion’s podium to accept the best team award.

They posed for photos with the second and third-place teams, bringing the first race of the new season to a perfect conclusion.

Without a doubt, they had achieved a fantastic start to the season.

The biggest contributor to this success was the king of the newcomers himself: Huang Chong. He had only just begun to make a name for himself at the end of last year, but his form was still explosive this year, and he gave off an air of invincibility.

At noon, during the team’s internal celebration, Coach Li and the team members all raised their cups—using tea in place of wine—to thank Huang Chong.

Although he was the youngest on the team, born in 2000 and a year younger than even Brother Xiaoma, in competitive sports, strength has always reigned supreme.

Plus, he was an all-around GC Cyclist. Not only did he have a powerful Sprinting Burst, but he could also climb and descend, and was extremely skilled at time trials—

A cyclist like him, with no obvious weaknesses or shortcomings, was destined to be the absolute leader of any team he joined. So, everyone already saw him as their number one rider.

However, just as the team’s celebration was getting underway, a staff member suddenly leaned in and whispered to Coach Li that someone important was here to see him. Hearing this, he quickly got up and temporarily left the table.

He then discovered that the person who had come to visit the team was none other than the head coach of the National Road Cycling program: Coach Han.

"Congratulations, Coach Li!

Your Hengxiang Team kicked off the new season with a huge victory right out of the gate.

And seeing your cyclists in such hot form, I suspect you’re about to sweep all the domestic events for the rest of the year!"

Coach Li was no longer officially part of the state system, but his team was still closely connected to it.

In China, whether you’re a Road Cyclist or a team, if you want to develop properly, you can’t separate yourself from the system established by the association.

Having worked in the provincial team for so long, it was naturally impossible for Coach Li not to know Coach Han.

So, the moment he saw him, he had already guessed the purpose of his visit.

’He’s clearly here to recruit someone.’

Of course, the National Team recruiting someone wouldn’t have a negative impact on the team.

Brother Xiaoma from their team was already a member of the National Team.

On the contrary, by using their National Team spots, Brother Xiaoma, and soon Huang Chong, could participate in more high-level competitions while still representing the Hengxiang Team.

If they managed to get good results, it would only serve as positive publicity for the team.

It would also be huge publicity for Coach Li’s own coaching abilities and his talent for scouting cyclists.

"Coach Han, what brings you to Yunnan in person? We’re honored to have you visit and guide our team!"

Coach Li smiled, shook Coach Han’s hand warmly, and continued:

"Have you had lunch? Our team is holding a small victory celebration. If you haven’t eaten, why not join us for a bite?"

Coach Han smiled and waved his hand. He had already eaten, and besides, he was busy. He had to go inspect the women’s division and select national team members soon, so he got straight to the point:

"I’ve already eaten, Coach Li. No need to trouble yourself.

I came to your team for one reason: the Asian Championships are coming up in six months.

You’re a veteran from the state system, so you definitely know how important this competition is.

Therefore, I plan to recruit your team’s Huang Chong for the National Team.

As you know, his performance at this event was absolutely outstanding.

Especially in this morning’s men’s individual race. I followed him for almost the entire race and witnessed him defeat all of China’s other top cyclists.

He truly has a competitive level that puts him in a class of his own in road cycling!"

Hearing the purpose of the visit from the man himself, Coach Li saw that it was just as he had predicted, so of course, there was nothing to object to.

While team competitions were important, his original intention for getting into professional road cycling and founding an Intercontinental Team was precisely to discover and cultivate more talented cyclists from the general populace, and ultimately send them to the national team to raise the entire nation’s level in the sport of professional road cycling.