Cycling: Racing into the Headwind

Chapter 119: Chapter 100: Zero-Point Rider, Battling 2 World Tour Cyclists Alone

Of course, that respect was a fleeting thought for Huang Chong, as a continuous stretch of climbs and descents still awaited him.

The Kazakhstan duo wasn’t surprised that Arashiro Yukiya was able to keep up with them.

After all, he had competed in three Olympic Games. He was Japan’s number one road cyclist and had long been a famous name in Asia.

They had anticipated that to secure the top two spots for their country, they would have to drop the Japanese rider on this final set of climbs and descents.

What they never expected, however, was that a completely unfamiliar Chinese rider was also sticking with them, forming what was now a four-man leading group.

This threw their original plan into disarray.

’On this final series of climbs and descents, should we launch another anaerobic attack?’

Although their strength was far superior to other cyclists in Asia, they had been the ones attacking relentlessly throughout the race. Their energy expenditure was far greater than that of Huang Chong and Arashiro Yukiya, who had been drafting behind them the whole time.

If the pair launched another high-intensity anaerobic attack, they couldn’t be sure they wouldn’t blow up themselves.

When it came to energy expenditure, once a rider went through several anaerobic efforts, they could only judge their state by feel and experience. It was nearly impossible to determine a precise value.

But after a moment’s thought, Gelber and Yevgeniy decided to stick to the original plan and launch another attack.

They both figured that even if they did blow up, the Chinese rider and the old Japanese veteran would definitely blow up as well.

’After all, we’ve been forged on the brutal courses of the World Tour. How could we possibly lose to a guy with zero UCI points and a 39-year-old veteran on the verge of retirement?’

And as it turned out, their decision to attack was the right one.

After enduring the relentless attacks, Arashiro Yukiya finally cracked.

A few years younger, and he might have been able to keep up. But not today.

Finally, after two consecutive anaerobic attacks from the World Tour Cyclists, Arashiro Yukiya blew up completely just before the final short climb. A gap of twenty to thirty meters opened up in an instant.

Huang Chong glanced back at the dropped Japanese rider, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

He knew that with the other rider dropped, the Kazakhstan team could now focus all their efforts on him in a two-on-one battle.

If he just sat on their wheels, drafting behind the two Kazakhstan riders, it would be nearly impossible for him to challenge them alone and take one of the top two spots.

Never mind that the finish line was still about 50 kilometers away. On the upcoming flat sections, the Kazakhstan duo could easily work him over, taking turns to attack just like Jumbo Team’s Vingegaard and Roglič did to Pogačar.

In a two-on-one disadvantage, if he wanted to secure a direct qualification spot for the Olympics, he would have to respond to every single one of their attacks.

’With my current abilities, can I really handle repeated anaerobic attacks from two World Tour Cyclists?’

Even Huang Chong himself had serious doubts about that.

The mere thought of such a scenario felt like an impossible task.

And so, with the Japanese rider dropped, Huang Chong was left to follow the Kazakhstan duo alone into the final 50 kilometers of descents and flat roads. Meanwhile, in front of a television, Coach Han and Chen Junyi were watching the live broadcast, their heart rates soaring from the intense nervousness.