Chapter 315 172: Look at this kid from the East! Winning for him now is like taking something from a bag!

"Stupid, that was utterly stupid!!

Why did Nis have to respond to Huang Chong's attack?

His move is simply incomprehensible!!"

In the Trek team car, the team leader watched his star rider fall behind. He didn't broadcast his frustrations over the radio to the struggling cyclist; instead, he just vented to his colleagues on the coaching staff.

"Damn it, Nis seems to have completely blown up. But he's still a full two kilometers from the finish. At this rate, he'll be swallowed up by the peloton, and he probably won't even be able to hold on to second place—"

The team's Mechanician chimed in with a bitter smile, his face a mask of despair.

The coaching staff had no control over such an aggressive choice—one that led to an early collapse from overestimating his own strength. That was a judgment call only the rider could make.

But without a doubt, Thibaut Nis had been far too confident.

He thought he could hang on to Huang Chong's wheel, but he didn't even last a single kilometer before completely cracking!

Once Huang Chong saw that his anaerobic burst had completely dropped Thibaut Nis, he naturally eased off. He returned to a seated position, lowered his power output and heart rate, and began riding swiftly toward the finish line using only his threshold power.

But even riding at only 400 watts on the steep climb, the time gap between him and the peloton continued to grow.

In the blink of an eye, his lead had stretched to over a minute.

"Nice! Huang, you're now one minute and twelve seconds ahead of the peloton. Just hold your current power and keep a steady pace!"

Seeing Huang Chong's successful solo breakaway, the Bora Team Leader's voice was filled with unrestrained excitement.

By securing an advantage of over a minute in Stage 3, Huang Chong had all but clinched the overall victory for this year's Tour of Hungary.

The climb in Stage 5 was much more difficult than Kekes Peak. If the other team leaders couldn't handle an 8% gradient, how could they possibly manage the short, steep pitches that reached well over 10%?

"Understood. What's the status of the Trek Team rider?"

Huang Chong, who had now completely dropped every other rider on the climb and held a commanding lead, replied succinctly.

"You're asking about Thibaut Nis?

He completely blew up. He's been caught by the peloton now.

I reckon he completely drained his reserves trying to respond to your attack.

He'll be lucky to finish with the front group now!"

Hearing this, Huang Chong said no more. Amid the wild cheers of the local Hungarian fans, he launched his final push toward the finishing arch!

"Oh my god, Thibaut Nis really couldn't hang on! This Chinese cyclist's climbing ability is just too powerful!"

"He's truly worthy of his reputation! The only super rookie at the Liège Race who could go head-to-head with Pogačar and not crack!

His performance was absolutely outstanding. Let's congratulate him for putting on such a spectacular show for us in the final three kilometers!"

As Huang Chong smoothly crossed the finish line first, the two Hungarian commentators' voices were filled with nothing but pure admiration.

In China, while the only official streaming platform, China Sports, and most cycling streamers were broadcasting the Giro d'Italia, a few hardcore streamers—die-hard fans of Huang Chong—were covering the more niche Tour of Hungary.

The more resourceful fans in the country were naturally watching both races at once.

Seeing Huang Chong so easily crush the competition for the win, some of them were even starting to find these races a bit predictable. They flooded the live comments section:

[Do you even need to watch a Pro Level race when Huang Chong is in it? I wake up from a nap, and what do you know? Another victory.]

[Freaking awesome! Congrats to Huang Chong on locking up the Tour of Hungary overall title!!!]

[Can't wait to see Huang Chong in a Grand Tour, putting some real pressure on the world's number one, Pogačar!!!]

[For real. He may have lost the Liège Race, but if he were at the Giro d'Italia, he would definitely be making Pogačar's ride to victory a lot less comfortable!]

[A true champion isn't afraid of the toughest competition. Huang Chong might not be at the Giro d'Italia, but he'll definitely go head-to-head with Pogačar at the Tour de France!!!]

...

After Stage 3 concluded, a Hungarian race reporter was, of course, first to interview the stage winner, Huang Chong.

"Congratulations, Huang! Your performance in the final three kilometers was absolutely incredible!

After this stage, you'll be in the overall leader's Yellow Jersey. Do you have the confidence to hold onto it until the very end?

Also, most of us expected you to attack in the final kilometer, as you have in past races. But today, you went early, right at the start of the steep climb on Kekes Peak.

Was that your own decision, or was it part of the team's strategy?"

Huang Chong replied with a smile:

"Thank you for the compliment. I think that until the race is over, no one can guarantee they'll win the overall title.

Of course, I hope to wear the Yellow Jersey all the way to the end. That's the team's main goal for this race.

But the other Professional Cyclists are very strong. We'll have to wait and see what happens in the next two stages!

As for the timing of the attack, that was a joint decision I made with the team.

I felt pretty good on the bike today. Plus, the scenery in northern Hungary is, you know, just breathtakingly beautiful. The road conditions through the forest were excellent, too. All of that really motivated me.

Riding through such a beautiful landscape is, without a doubt, an absolute pleasure.

Most importantly, I want to thank all the fans who came out to watch today. Everyone was so enthusiastic and gave me so much support and encouragement!