Cycling: Racing into the Headwind

Chapter 126: Chapter 103: This Young Man Is Indeed the National Champion, Second in Asia

When Huang Chong and the other two returned to headquarters, they found the team had prepared a celebratory banquet just for them.

Coach Li looked at him, his face a mixture of admiration and profound emotion.

He had been the first person to secure an Olympic qualification spot for the country. But for several Games after that, no one had managed to qualify.

It just went to show how far the country lagged behind the international standard in road cycling.

And now, a member of his very own team had secured a direct qualification spot without even needing to rely on points—and he had done it amidst fierce competition from nineteen other Asian nations.

’It was safe to say Huang Chong was far more formidable than he had been in his day!’

He lavished praise on him at the dinner table:

"Huang Chong, winning this silver medal was a truly incredible achievement!

You weren’t just unintimidated when facing World Tour Cyclists; you dared to take the initiative and attack at the last moment, taking your fate firmly into your own hands.

With that kind of courage alone, I believe you’ll one day make it to the European racing scene and go head-to-head with the top cyclists.

For you to choose to join us at Hengxiang... it’s truly an honor for our team!"

For Coach Li, who was dedicated to cultivating more talent and helping local cyclists reach the world stage, Huang Chong winning silver at the Asian Championships was without a doubt the outcome he most wanted to see.

Although not many people in the country paid attention to this race, he himself had watched the entire live broadcast.

So, when he saw Huang Chong hold on until the very end, even while being systematically targeted by two World Tour Cyclists, he was thrilled. He had even managed to outsprint one of them right at the finish line. Coach Li knew with certainty that with this level of ability, Huang Chong was now second to none in the country—he had no equal.

’In fact, Huang Chong had probably never even shown his full strength in the domestic leagues.’

’He likely just did enough to ensure victory and then rode conservatively.’

"You have more important competitions to prepare for. Don’t worry about the team’s races; you and Xiaoma can leave those to us. Just focus on competing for the nation.

We’re all looking forward to seeing you achieve even greater things in the major competitions. That’s incredibly important for our Hengxiang Team as well!"

Taking Coach Li’s words to heart, Huang Chong replied earnestly:

"Thank you, Coach Li. Brother Xiaoma and I will do our absolute best and give it our all in the important races."

He didn’t know the specifics of the arrangement between an Intercontinental Team and the official association, but he felt a great sense of relief. Since Coach Li wasn’t the least bit unhappy about him and Brother Xiaoma competing for the National Team and was, in fact, constantly encouraging them, things must be fine.

’To be honest,’ he thought, ’as an Intercontinental Team cyclist, not being able to race for my team most of the time was something I was quite worried about at first.’

’I felt like I was drawing a salary from the team while constantly working within the state system as a member of the provincial team. It felt a bit like I was burning the bridge after crossing it.’

’But it seemed that when the association requisitioned cyclists from the team for long-term duties, they must have provided the team with appropriate compensation.’

’Besides, they were still Hengxiang Team cyclists at the end of the day. Their achievements would be a huge boost to the team’s reputation, and by extension, to Coach Li’s own renown.’

Of course, not being able to personally race for the team had its downsides.

For one, he wouldn’t be able to represent the team in the many lower-tier UCI events held domestically.

For example, the Tour of Huangshan, the Tour of Poyang Lake, the Tour of Binzhou, and the Tour of Pingtan.

Although these were merely CLASS 1 and CLASS 2 races—the lowest tiers in the UCI’s four-level event classification—for domestic Intercontinental Teams, they were the core races they had to give their all for each year.

After a brief stop in Shanghai, Chen Junyi drove Huang Chong to Hangcheng, bringing him to the Provincial Cycling Sports Management Center.

For the upcoming National Championships, Huang Chong would be competing as a provincial team cyclist alongside Wang Bao and the others.

The result was predictable. Having achieved one victory after another in both the domestic league and the Asian Championships, Huang Chong was immediately showered with effusive praise by his old teammates:

"They say you should look at someone with new eyes after just three days apart, and man, is that true for you! Bro, we all saw your performance at the Asian Championships. It was just insane!!!"

Huang Chong’s biggest fan, Zhou Zitong, saw that his old "big bro" had returned after reaching ever greater heights on the professional stage. Overcome with a mix of excitement and awe, he couldn’t help but exclaim:

"I wish I could be at your level someday! Taking on two guys at once, and they were World Tour Cyclists! You’re a credit to our country, man!!"

Hearing Zhou Zitong’s over-the-top praise, Huang Chong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He could only pat the other’s shoulder and offer some encouragement:

"Train hard. Your efforts won’t be in vain. As long as you put in the work, you’ll definitely improve, bit by bit. Keep it up."

Wang Bao’s personality was as earnest as ever. While he also offered his fair share of praise for Huang Chong, he was more interested in finding a way to improve quickly. He asked bluntly:

"Brother Huang, can I ask how you usually train? How did you improve so quickly?

Just last year, you were competing with me for a medal at the provincial games. But now... I’m still at the same level, I haven’t improved much at all, and you’re already competing for gold medals across all of Asia—

and if you keep improving at this rate, you’ll definitely be representing the country and going for gold at the Paris Olympic Games next summer!"

Hearing Wang Bao’s question, Huang Chong was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

’Because my path to growth isn’t applicable to anyone else,’ he thought. ’It’s impossible to replicate.’