Chapter 332 - 176: Overall Standings Overturned, Renewed Suspense for the Championship (Part 2)

If a rider pushes too hard at the start and runs out of energy for the climb in the second half, the effort will be for nothing.

Huang Chong had a fair amount of experience with ITT riding.

This was only his second ITT race since joining the World Tour—his first being the UAE Tour.

But he regularly rode a TT bike during team training.

He didn’t just practice individual time trials; he also did specialized training for team time trials with his teammates.

Back in the United Arab Emirates, he had only placed third overall, losing to McNulty and Vine of UAE Team.

Afterward, he had intensified his training in this area.

However, the team had him scheduled for one-day classics all spring, giving him no opportunity to showcase his time trial abilities.

But things were different now. Not only had his riding technique improved, but his power output had also increased significantly. His skill was definitely on a higher level than during the UAE Tour.

’Anyway, if I were to race against those two from UAE Team again, I’m confident I could win.’

’But beating the world’s number one ITT rider, Evenepoel... that’s another story.’

ITT riding wasn’t just about high FTP Power. Maintaining an aerodynamic posture and mitigating wind resistance from different directions were just as crucial.

Pogačar’s base power was certainly higher than Evenepoel’s, but on flat stages, he still couldn’t keep up, and the gap was significant.

The time trial where Pogačar suffered his most crushing defeat was, without a doubt, the 2025 World Championships.

He started one spot ahead of Evenepoel, with a two-minute head start, but was caught and overtaken on the climb before the finish line. The outcome was stunning.

The ITT start order at the Tour de Dauphine was identical to the Tour de France’s format: riders start in reverse order of the current general classification standings.

Roglič, thanks to Huang Chong’s assistance, was temporarily ranked first in the general classification, meaning he would be the last to start.

Evenepoel was ranked second overall, so he would start second to last.

As for Huang Chong, he had been playing a supporting role throughout the race, finishing with the second group for three consecutive stages. His overall rank was a mere twenty-sixth, fourteen places behind even Vlasov.

Therefore, he wouldn’t be able to use Evenepoel’s real-time data as a reference for his own ride.

The race began with the flat-stage sprinters, who were already tens of minutes down in the general classification.

These riders were strong in short, explosive sprints but had poor threshold endurance, making them generally unskilled at ITTs. Their times offered little in the way of a benchmark.

But when the Ineos rider in 108th place, Tarling, took to the course, his time trial result blew everyone away!

As expected of last year’s European ITT Champion, he was even wearing the special champion’s jersey today. He finished the 34.3 km course with a staggering average speed of 49.014 km/h, in a total time of just 42:06.63.

This was an ITT with a climb, yet he managed such a terrifying speed and power output. He truly lived up to his reputation as a top-tier track cyclist from the United Kingdom.

By the time Huang Chong started, Tarling had already been sitting on the "hot seat"—the chair reserved for the current leader on the live rankings—for nearly two hours.

This proved one thing unequivocally: of the hundred-plus riders who had already started and finished the course at the Tour de Dauphine, not a single one had posted a better time.

As Huang Chong finished the first 10 km and reached the first time check, Aldag, following in the team car right behind him, immediately relayed the time gap.

"Huang, you’re eight seconds behind Tarling after the first time check!"

Huang Chong’s heart sank when he heard that.

’Just as I thought,’ he reflected. ’My FTP Power is high, but my technique is lacking compared to a track cyclist’s.’

Of course, his time, while slower than Tarling’s, was still better than every other rider so far. He was only in second place for now.

Then, as he completed the second section and reached the 24.5 km mark, Aldag informed him that the gap to Tarling’s time had widened by another two seconds. He was now about ten seconds behind!

Huang Chong was at a loss for words.

However, the final 10 km was a difficult climbing section, and he had paced himself well, conserving his energy. As a result, when he finally crossed the finish line, he had actually beaten Tarling’s time by one second.

This highlighted their different strengths. He couldn’t match Tarling on the flats, but on the climbs, Tarling was no match for him.

He had gained eleven seconds on Tarling in the last 10 km alone.

In the end, Huang Chong successfully completed his ride, provisionally taking over first place. He unseated Tarling from the hot seat, becoming the center of attention and stunning the crowd!

Unsurprisingly, when Evenepoel started his run, he reached the first time check at the 10 km mark and immediately beat Tarling’s time by two seconds.

Huang Chong couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

’This pocket rocket is the real deal!’

’The God of Flat-Road ITTs—that title isn’t just for show.’

However, by the second time check, Evenepoel’s pace had surprisingly dropped. He was now 0.89 seconds behind Tarling.

A thrill of excitement shot through Huang Chong. ’Could I actually win the ITT stage today?’ he thought.

’If I can beat Evenepoel, I’ll be an overnight sensation before the Tour de France even starts.’

But when Evenepoel reached the finish line, clocking an average speed of 49.353 km/h and a total time of 41:49.28, all Huang Chong could do was smile wryly.