Chapter 335 - 177: In an All-or-Nothing Gamble, Killing the Championship Suspense Early

The only difference was that today, the team controlling the race was no longer the Bora Team, but the Quick Step Team, who had claimed the Yellow Jersey in a comeback during the ITT stage.

But Bora’s Roglič was only 5.18 seconds behind Evenepoel in the general classification—not even six seconds.

Naturally, they were also riding their team train, staying right behind the Quick Step Team.

It was hard to tell from his form whether Roglič, clad in the Green Jersey, was riding well or not.

But Huang Chong knew his shoulder injury was definitely affecting him.

Especially before the category 2 climb, when he tried to reach into his back jersey pocket for an Energy Gel, his face contorted in pain.

This could only mean one thing: the shoulder injury made even the most basic movements a struggle for him.

Huang Chong thought for a moment, then decisively pulled out from in front of Roglič and came up alongside him, speaking directly.

"Primož, your shoulder injury is too severe."

"Let me put all your Energy Gels in my back pockets."

"When you need one, just let me know. You can grab one directly from my back, or I can get it out and hand it to you."

"That way you can avoid reaching behind yourself. The movement is too big and will aggravate your shoulder injury!"

Roglič was clearly taken aback by the suggestion.

A move like this from Huang Chong was undoubtedly rare on the World Tour circuit; after all, he wasn’t a rider specifically tasked with carrying supplies.

Entrusting all his supplies to Huang Chong would require absolute trust in the man.

He would have to completely believe that Huang Chong wouldn’t get dropped for the entire race, thus avoiding a situation where he himself would run out of supplies.

For a Professional Cyclist, fueling is paramount. Every rider has a meticulously planned nutrition strategy set before the race.

If their carbohydrate intake couldn’t keep up at specific points, a rider would never make it to the finish line under the high-intensity pressure of a World Tour race.

But after a moment of deep thought, Roglič nodded with a grave expression, replying with absolute trust in Huang Chong.

"Alright, let’s do it your way!"

In truth, he dared to do this because Huang Chong had already helped him secure two stage victories.

His trust in Huang Chong had already been firmly established.

Plus, Huang Chong’s personality wasn’t the frivolous and flamboyant type; on the team, he was known for being steady and focused.

’Since he dared to suggest such a plan, he must be confident enough in his own abilities.’

Otherwise, if the plan failed and caused the team leader to crack, Huang Chong would have to bear the full responsibility for the loss.

So, considering the team’s overall interests, Huang Chong’s move was essentially a thankless task.

If the plan succeeded, all the credit would go to Roglič.

If it failed, he would have to face severe consequences for such an aggressive and risky move.

But of course, Huang Chong was no reckless fool. With his current strength, if the team’s strategy didn’t revolve around someone else, he could be competing for the overall championship himself.

Having him as a domestique, and he gets dropped early without even going head-to-head with Pogačar? That was simply impossible.

So, without another word, Huang Chong first moved all of his own supplies into the pockets on one side of his jersey. Then, he took all of Roglič’s supplies from his back and put them in the pockets on his other side to avoid mixing them up.

He then returned to his position in the formation, leading Roglič toward the category 2 climb at the 129-kilometer mark.

This uphill road wound through a small local town in France. The mountain was covered in vast stretches of low-lying trees and green meadows.

Many local residents had come out to stand on the meadows and watch the race, cheering wildly for the main peloton.

The closer they got to the summit, the more spectators lined both sides of the road.

Before the climb, the time gap between the peloton and the breakaway group had been nearly five and a half minutes. So, the Quick Step Team riders controlling the pace picked it up on this category 2 climb, quickly shrinking the gap to around four minutes.

But before Huang Chong reached the summit, a message suddenly came through his earpiece from Aldag.

"Huang, in the breakaway group ahead, two riders went off the road in a high-speed corner after cresting the summit and starting the descent."

"They are Thibault Guernalec of the Arkéa Team and Mason Hollyman of the Israel-Premier Tech Team."

"Watch your speed on the descent. Don’t be too aggressive. Make sure Primož behind you gets down the mountain safely."

Huang Chong was stunned for a moment when he heard the news.

But he quickly understood the sports director’s meaning.

Roglič had indeed had far too many crashes in recent years.

As his personal domestique, he naturally had to strictly control his speed and his line on the descent to ensure his leader’s absolute safety.

Especially with an existing shoulder injury, Roglič really couldn’t afford to get hurt again.

He immediately relayed the message to his leader behind him and slowed down slightly as they approached the high-speed corner where the crash had occurred.

It had to be said that after the Col du Granier, the descent on this side of the mountain was significantly more difficult.

Not only did the road suddenly narrow, but the surface also became uneven and bumpy.

If you didn’t know better, you might think they had suddenly been transported to a road race in a different country.

Fortunately, thanks to Aldag’s advance warning, Huang Chong remained exceptionally focused throughout the nearly 10-kilometer-long descent. He consistently chose the safest line through the corners for Roglič behind him, finally bringing them both to the bottom of the mountain, safe and sound.