Chapter 421 - 204: On the Same Steep Slope, Blown Away by the Same Opponent

However, Huang Chong not only competed in the entire Tour de France but also participated in the grueling Olympic road race, which spanned over 270 kilometers.

How are his energy reserves now? Can he handle a race like the Vuelta a España, which is packed with tough, frequent climbs? I’m really looking forward to seeing what he can do!"

As the commentator’s voice filled the air, the race mileage ticked by at a furious pace.

But the Vuelta a España isn’t the Tour de France, and the pace was nowhere near as blistering.

Furthermore, the breakaway group was relatively weak. On many climbs, the peloton had to deliberately slow down just to let them maintain a decent lead.

"Huang, how are you feeling?

Do you want me to have Vlasov move to the front of the peloton and pick up the pace before we hit the steep section of the final climb? It would help thin out the field.

We’re about to hit the final climb!"

The peloton had already burned through three difficult climbs. The sprinters who had managed to hang on had also just contested the only intermediate sprint of the day, located at the 155-kilometer mark right before the final climb began. It was then that Aldag’s voice came through to Huang Chong in a timely reminder.

At this point, three of the original five breakaway riders had been caught. Only Amiel and Kern Pharma Team’s Castrillo remained out front.

But their lead had dwindled to just a minute and a half.

Huang Chong was quite satisfied with the peloton’s current pace.

’Being able to conserve the climbing domestiques’ energy as much as possible in the first week was key. We just had our flat-terrain specialist, Denz, chase the breakaway, and we still hit our targets. That’s good enough for now.’

’The memory of being isolated and without support during the latter stages of the Tour de France was still fresh in his mind.’

’That feeling had been unbearable.’

’Without climbing domestiques, a rider has virtually no chance to launch an attack. I don’t want to burn out my key support riders early again, only to let other teams dictate the race.’

He replied immediately:

"Not yet, Director.

I’m feeling pretty good.

For today’s stage, let’s just see how the other teams react on the steep, three-kilometer section. I’m confident I won’t get dropped.

Let’s have Vlasov and Martínez ride steady and conserve as much energy as they can. The Vuelta a España is a long race, after all.

The mountain climbs in the final two weeks will be a greater test of our team’s stability.

In the high mountains, I need a full complement of domestiques to help whittle down the competition. Only then will I have more opportunities to attack."

Hearing this response, Aldag couldn’t argue. He simply replied:

"Okay, then make sure you hold your position in the group.

Don’t drop to the back before we hit the final three-kilometer steep section.

That stretch of concrete road is extremely steep and narrow, so securing a good position at the front is critical.

It’ll not only keep you safe but also ensure you’re at the front of the group, ready to respond immediately if another team attacks!"

"Got it, Director!"

Once Huang Chong’s conversation with Aldag ended, he took in one last bit of fuel before the climb began. Then, the communication ceased.

Viluacas Peak was 14.6 kilometers long. The first 10 kilometers of the climb were very steady, with the gradient holding between 4% and 5%.

For a professional Climber, a gradient like this was no problem, even after more than 150 kilometers and three previous climbs. Sticking with the main group would be easy.

But while the Climbers could hang on, the classics specialists and sprinters were another story.

With about 13 kilometers to go, Van Aert—who was only one second behind Huang Chong in the general classification—was the first major rider to be dropped on the final climb!

Seeing this, Steve from European Sports remarked with a sigh:

"Just as expected! After the first three stages, Van Aert, the rider closest to Huang Chong in the general classification, has been dropped on the final climb!

He put in a world-class performance in the finishing sprints of the first two stages.

But when faced with a long, grueling climb like this, a classics rider is ultimately hampered by their larger build.

That tall frame and powerful musculature give them a huge advantage on tricky cobblestones or gravel roads, but it becomes a massive burden on the climbs."

"That’s absolutely right.

Among the traditional types of Road Cyclists, each specialty has its own advantages.

If a rider wants to be elite on every type of terrain, they’d probably have to be the next Tadej.

Van Aert has had a really tough season, suffering several crashes, yet he always manages to come back strong. The fact that he’s been able to hang on this long in a Vuelta a España mountain stage is truly an exceptional performance!

I think he deserves a huge round of applause!"

Jimmy added to Steve’s point before quickly continuing:

"But the main event of this stage ultimately belongs to the Climbers.

And as the riders get closer and closer to the toughest three-kilometer section of Viluacas Peak, I think we’re about to see the most exciting action of the day!

I’m sure we’ll see a Climber launch an attack on this incredibly difficult, steep section!"