Cycling: Racing into the Headwind

Chapter 153: Chapter 116: Transforming into a Power Monster, Now Crushing Even the Flats

After the Tour of Qinghai Lake concluded, the international teams and domestic Intercontinental Teams that had come to Qinghai to compete all left the high plateau the next day.

But Huang Chong did not leave.

As the National High Altitude Training Base, it was known as a "gold medal factory" and had produced countless world champions.

Doba’s unique altitude and suitable climate made it the perfect location for endurance sports training.

In winter, Road Cyclists generally trained in the warmer Mang City. But in the height of summer, Doba was the most suitable place to train.

This was especially true in July and August, when the temperatures in China were too high and there were hardly any road cycling races.

So, at Coach Han’s request and after coordinating with his team, Huang Chong remained on the high plateau to train.

This training session lasted for over twenty days, nearly a month.

With support from Chen Junyi and the National Team’s logistics crew, specially arranged by Coach Han, he rode nearly every challenging mountain road in all of Qinghai.

Toward the end of his training, he also rode the Qinghai-Tibet Line, conducting a special week-long session on roads in the Tibetan Area with an average altitude of over four thousand meters.

In short, by the time Huang Chong finished his training, the ultraviolet rays had given him a high-altitude flush, and his skin had darkened by several shades.

On August 12, he temporarily left Qinghai alone and flew to Tianjin.

The fifth stage of the pro league, the Tianjin Tuanbo Lake Station, was being held there on August 13. As the holder of the Red Jersey for the general classification, he had to compete.

As for Chen Junyi, she hadn’t come down from the high plateau at all.

Although she really wanted to come, Huang Chong told her not to bother. After this stage, his next event was the Hangcheng Asian Games on October 3, and he would be returning to the high plateau to train immediately afterward.

Besides, his body was unique—optimized by the system—so he wouldn’t have any adverse reactions coming down from the high plateau. Chen Junyi, on the other hand, had just been with him in the Tibetan Area at over 4,000 meters. If she suddenly came down to Tianjin, she would definitely suffer from oxygen intoxication or something similar, which would be an even bigger hassle.

Of course, in the nearly two months between the Tianjin Station and the Asian Games, there were certainly plenty of other UCI-sanctioned races being held in China.

For example, the 1.2-category Tour of Pingtan, the 2.2-category Tour of Poyang Lake, the 2.2-category Tour of Binzhou, and even the Pro Level Tour of Tai Lake.

However, after a detailed discussion with the team’s Coach Li, Huang Chong decided not to participate in these races.

Competing in lower-category events now would be like shooting fish in a barrel for him.

As for the Pro Level Tour of Tai Lake, its terrain was completely unsuitable for him.

Although the race had four stages, the course profiles in the various cities of Jiangsu were as straight as four rulers. The roads were so flat you couldn’t find a single climb.

Given his strengths as a GC Cyclist, he’d likely just be along for the ride while the sprinters dominated, making it a pointless waste of energy.

Besides, Huang Chong had seen the official team announcements for this year’s Tour of Tai Lake. There was even a Lotto Team that had just been relegated from the World Tour, but their rider roster was still World Tour Level.

It would be impossible for him to contend with guys like that for the Tour of Tai Lake’s overall title on purely flat roads.

After some consideration, Coach Li agreed to let him rejoin the team for the Tianjin Station and then return to the high plateau to continue training.

In any case, Huang Chong had already won plenty of titles this year.

Especially at the Tour of Qinghai Lake. Not only did he win three jerseys and sweep the three mountain stages, but he was also the first Chinese rider to win the general classification at a Pro Level event. Since this achievement was officially credited to him as a Hengxiang rider, it was all considered team honor. Coach Li had absolutely nothing to be unhappy about.

This result was a first for their team, and who knew how long it would take for another team to develop a domestic rider capable of winning the Tour of Qinghai Lake.

...

When Huang Chong arrived at Tianjin Airport, a Hengxiang Team staff member was waiting to pick him up the moment he walked out.

When he met up with his teammates at the hotel, Brother Xiaoma couldn’t help but tease him. Brother Xiaoma had left the high plateau much earlier and had even competed in the Huan Huang Mountain race in the interim. Seeing that Huang Chong’s skin had darkened several shades and that he had a ruddy high-altitude flush on his face, he quipped:

"Well, well, look at Mr. Handsome coming down from the mountain. You look like you’re not to be trifled with."

"Looks like tomorrow’s race is already in the bag for you."

"You know, I’m not gonna lie, ever since I stopped racing with you, I feel like something’s missing. I’ve got no confidence."

"Case in point, I went to the Huan Huang Mountain race a while back and finished 63rd on a completely flat stage! My glorious reputation was almost ruined in a single day!"

Huang Chong knew Brother Xiaoma well. Hearing his complaints, he just laughed, clapped him on the shoulder, and replied:

"Don’t worry, I’m down from the mountain now, right? I’ll be your lead-out man tomorrow. Just stay on my wheel, and I guarantee I’ll help you drop the other teams’ sprinters on the flat stage. It’ll be a stress-free victory!"

"You said it! I’m holding you to that!"

Brother Xiaoma put on a solemn expression, but he broke character after three seconds and asked with a laugh:

"By the way, you just got down from the plateau, and it’s already evening. The race is tomorrow morning. You think your body can handle it?"

"We don’t want you getting oxygen intoxication during the race. Getting dizzy while riding at high speeds... that’s way too dangerous."