Chapter 294 - 167: First Battle with Pogačar, Liège Race Debut, First Time in the Main Lineup

"But Eldest Young Master Zhou, you can treat money like dirt for those pretty faces, and Young Master Li and I are your partners now. How about you be generous with us for once? For example, by inviting us to France to see this year’s Tour de France live?

You have to know, the Tour de France is the real main event. With our boy’s skill level, he’ll definitely be competing by then.

Watching top cyclists climb like they’re on flat ground, live and in person—isn’t that a million times better than being cooped up in a clubhouse watching the race?"

Zhou Ming knew Dewey was goading him, but he genuinely loved road cycling.

He hadn’t bothered to go to France to watch it live before because there were no Chinese cyclists.

No matter how much he liked those foreign stars, he wasn’t enough of a fan to chase them to a live race.

But now, hearing Dewey’s suggestion, he thought it over for a moment, then readily agreed with a nod:

"Alright, then let’s go to the Tour de France and watch the race live.

It’s also a perfect opportunity for us to check out the overseas market, inspect the factories and flagship stores of top-tier cycling gear, and see if there are any opportunities for collaboration.

I’ll cover all your expenses!"

Hearing Zhou Ming’s reply, Dewey’s expression froze.

Although he had indeed achieved his goal, for some reason, he felt as uncomfortable as if he’d accidentally swallowed a fly during a meal.

...

10:15 AM, European Time.

All 175 cyclists participating in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège race officially set off from the starting arch.

Compared to the first two races of the Ardennes Triple Crown, where some cyclists were always underprepared and got punished by the terrifying weather in the low temperatures, all 25 teams were exceptionally well-prepared today.

Skjelmose, in particular, who had suffered from hypothermia to the point of nearly crashing in the last race, had done everything possible to stay warm today.

Not only did he wear detachable arm and leg warmers like all the other cyclists, but he also put on insulated, windproof gloves, and a windproof, rainproof cycling jacket, and so on.

In short, having learned their lesson from the first two races, all the cyclists were geared up and ready for this one.

Although Huang Chong wasn’t afraid of the low temperatures, with everyone else dressed warmly, it would be a bit too nonconformist of him to wear just a thin cycling jersey, so he also bundled up.

Besides, being on a World Tour Team, all this cycling equipment, including the bikes, was provided for free by sponsors.

Plus, the design of these clothes and protective gear was very practical; they could be removed at any time and barely affected his riding performance, so he didn’t really mind wearing them.

Once the race began, as it was a top-tier event watched by the whole world and with such a star-studded lineup, Steve, the star host on the European Sports Eurosport road cycling channel, and his partner Jimmy were naturally beside themselves with excitement.

They had been watching Huang Chong’s races all along, so you could say they knew his growth trajectory like the back of their hands.

From his debut at the Asian Championships to fighting his way to the Liège-Bastogne-Liège, also known as the "Old Lady," it had actually been less than a year.

Even for two veteran hosts like them, who had been commentating on road cycling events for over a decade, Huang Chong’s rate of progress was undoubtedly extremely rare.

Of course, this was also inseparable from the Bora Team’s bold and aggressive lineup decisions.

After all, few World Tour Teams would dare to use a rookie like this in his first year, especially a cyclist from Asia.

You could say the team’s ambition for results, combined with Huang Chong’s own ability to seize nearly every opportunity, was what led to this situation.

As Steve watched the peloton depart from the starting arch, he didn’t even lead with the usual topic of the top favorite to win. Instead, he immediately turned to his partner, his voice filled with excitement, and said:

"Jimmy, I am so hyped for today’s race, you know what I mean?

Look at the Bora Team’s lineup! The Chinese cyclist is actually the team leader, with Sindel and Vlasov acting as his domestiques!

Oh my god, that’s the kind of treatment only Roglič gets!!

And what’s more, the betting companies have his odds to win this race in the top five.

I really, really, really, really, reeeaaally—want to know what kind of performance he can ultimately pull off against Pogačar and van der Poel!!"

Jimmy replied bluntly:

"I totally get why you’re excited. I also think it’s nearly impossible for him to win, but this course has so many climbs.

Even if it’ll be hard for him to beat the defending champion, Pogačar, out of the four people the bookmakers have ranked ahead of him, I definitely think he can push his final overall ranking higher.

His performance at the Flèche Wallonne was just too outstanding—it was almost identical to how Pogačar won it last year.

I think the bookmakers placing him fifth completely underestimates his climbing ability, especially on those incredibly difficult steep climbs.

His explosive power will definitely bring us some unexpected results!"

"I completely agree with you. Let’s follow the race footage and see just what level he can perform at!"

...