Chapter 282 165: Director, I Want to Participate in the Ardennes Triple Crown

["HOLY SHIT, HUANG CHONG IS A FUCKING GOD!!!"]

["It was totally worth staying up all night for this race. Huang Chong's performance was absolutely insane!!! From now on, I'm a die-hard stan!!!"]

["The Chinese rider fought a bloody battle for a comeback victory!! I just want to know, who else can even compete??"]

["Poor Jorgenson!! He changed teams but still can't escape his fate of being second place—"]

["Jorgenson is definitely going to be crying his eyes out after the race. Congrats to Huang Chong, hope the injuries aren't too bad. Keep charging on!!!"]

...

As Huang Chong was the first to cross the finish line, back in China, where it was already the middle of the night, comments from fellow cycling fans began to blow up the internet.

There was no doubt that the dramatic twists and turns of this race would be talked about with great relish by fans in the cycling community for a long time to come.

On the Eurosport cycling channel, Steve was shocked beyond words by the incredible finish.

He stared intently at the shot of Huang Chong crossing the finish line first, speechless for a long time.

It wasn't that he had nothing to say. It was that, in that moment, he simply couldn't find the words to describe how a man drenched in his own blood could, in the final 200 meters, still turn into an attacking beast and mercilessly crush his opponent—

"Jimmy, I'm incredibly emotional right now, so emotional that I can't find the right words to express what I'm feeling!

This Chinese cyclist's performance, it's just—

He is just so, so, so, so, so—

So unbelievably incredible!!

I originally thought that after his crash, just being able to finish the race without getting eliminated by the time cut would have been the best possible outcome.

But now, he has, through sheer force of will and an unquenchable thirst for victory, overtaken Jorgenson of the Visma Team in the final 200 meters to win the championship of what is, for him, the most important top-tier event of his career so far!!

I think, even though the 2024 season is less than a third of the way through, this race is already a contender for the top three races of the year!!"

"I completely understand how you feel right now, Steve. I feel the exact same way."

Jimmy's tone was one of earnest agreement.

"We have to admit, this is the true value and meaning that the sport of road cycling brings to people!!

The Bora cyclist, Huang Chong, has shown us with his own incomparably brilliant performance that no matter if you're temporarily behind in a race, or facing the most terrible and difficult situations, as long as you don't give up, victory will always be waiting for those who dare to fight for it!

He wrote the story of this incredible victory with his own resilience, tenacity, and even his own blood.

I believe that after this race, he has officially entered the ranks of the top-tier cyclists!

Let's congratulate him on winning the 2024 Crossing Flanders championship.

And congratulations are also in order for the Bora Team for unearthing this rider from the far East—a man of both genius and tenacity—"

...

The praise on the live broadcast continued, but for the entire staff of the Bora Team, they had no time to celebrate.

Because as soon as Huang Chong reached the finish line, the team's medical staff had to immediately give him a detailed examination of his injuries.

As a World Tour Team, ensuring rider safety is always the number one priority.

This is for the sake of the rider as well as the team's interests.

That is why, in the team's contracts, even for a rookie like Huang Chong, there are strict health clauses included.

One of them is that during the contract period, the rider is absolutely forbidden from participating in extreme sports!

The good news was, after a preliminary physical examination, Huang Chong's injuries appeared to be just road rash. Although he had scrapes in seven different places, there were no obvious abnormalities.

But the bad news was, after the race ended and Huang Chong returned from the award ceremony, his right hand began to swell and he felt a slight pain.

This immediately put the team's head doctor on high alert. He had Huang Chong wash up, applied ointment to his scrapes, and then sent him directly to a local hospital for a full-body CT scan.

The results showed that his right arm, which had made first contact with the ground, had a minor bone fracture.

When Huang Chong saw that he had actually fractured a bone, he felt somewhat baffled.

'Damn it,' he thought. 'I rode all the way to the finish line and didn't feel any pain at all, but now that it's over, my hand is starting to swell up.'

"Huang, you have a bone fracture. This is very unfortunate.

Although the injury isn't severe, for the sake of your health, we must change your race schedule. You need to withdraw from the Tour of Flanders in four days!

As for when you'll return to racing, that will depend on how your injury recovers!

In any case, just focus on recovering for now. The team will not let you take any risks for the sake of results!"

After the hospital check-up, the team's CEO, Ralph Denke, came to see Huang Chong personally.

Huang Chong opened his mouth, but hesitated, stopping himself before he could speak.

'He actually had a special system ointment for internal injuries, but since he couldn't detect a bone fracture himself, he hadn't been able to apply it right away.'

But in the end, he just nodded.

'This would be a good opportunity to test out this auxiliary healing ointment and see how fast it works anyway.'

"Alright, boss. I'll follow the team's orders."

And after Huang Chong's injury report came out, the team immediately released a statement on his condition, including the news of his withdrawal from the upcoming race.

Regarding the impact of the injury, the fans back in China were understanding. They flooded the team's official social media account with comments, telling him to rest well and not to rush his comeback.