Chapter 316 172: Look at This Kid from the East, Winning for Him Now Is Like Taking Something from a Bag

"That makes me feel like I have to race in a more exciting way to repay the support of all the fans who came to watch!"

"That's wonderful to hear, Huang. Thank you for appreciating our country's scenery so much. We look forward to seeing an even more amazing performance from you in the rest of the tour!"

Everyone loves to hear their country praised. It's a natural form of patriotism.

So when the reporter heard Huang Chong praising his country, he couldn't help but smile. He ended up scrapping the provocative questions he'd prepared for Huang Chong and simply offered his congratulations instead.

As the peloton crossed the finish line and Stage 3 concluded, the general classification standings became crystal clear.

Huang Chong's lead was enormous. He was now 1 minute and 40 seconds ahead of the second-place rider in the general classification, Ulissi from UAE Team.

However, in addition to interviewing the stage's top three finishers, the Hungarian reporters made a point of seeking out Thibaut Nis. He was the rider who had tried to match Huang Chong's attack on the steep climb, only to completely fall apart and ultimately cross the finish line a full 3 minutes and 21 seconds behind him.

When asked to reflect on his decision to challenge on the climb, Nis answered bluntly, a bitter expression on his face:

"I think I'm the bravest—and also the most foolish—person in this entire Tour of Hungary.

I chose to respond to Huang Chong on that steep climb, thinking I could challenge him. But instead, it just caused me to take myself out of contention for the overall win!

Without a doubt, that was the worst tactical decision I've made in my entire career as a Professional Cyclist.

I'll remember this loss forever. It will definitely make me a little smarter with my tactics in the future!"

...

「May 11th.」

The fourth day of the Tour of Hungary got underway as scheduled.

It was a flat circuit stage, totaling 165.5 km.

The circuit race format was a huge plus for the spectators on site.

It meant the riders would pass by the same spot multiple times.

But unlike the pure flat-out sprints that decided Stages 1 and 2, today's stage, while flat for nearly its entire length, concluded with a short, punchy climb: the ascent to Etyek!

The climb was 1.3 km long with an average gradient of 5.9% and a total elevation gain of 248 meters.

The average gradient over its 300-meter sections was 4.8%, 7.4%, 6.7%, and 5.0%, respectively.

With a finish like this, pure sprinters like Cavendish and Welsford were clearly out of the running.

Huang Chong, clad in the general classification leader's Yellow Jersey, got plenty of airtime during the broadcast. For the first 160 km, however, he did nothing out of the ordinary, riding steadily within the peloton.

As the race hit the final 1.3 km climb, Huang Chong—who had no need to fight for the sprint—decided after a brief consultation with his team to put on a show for the crowd and display his climbing sprint prowess.

Pogačar is actually also a fan of these kinds of uphill sprint battles; he even bested van der Poel in one during the Tour de France.

Thibaut Nis is a classics-style rider with a powerful sprint. He, along with the riders from UAE Team, who are also quite good on short, steep climbs, were driving the pace hard in the final kilometer. They were all desperately leading out the sprint, trying to secure the stage win.

While they were all certainly out of the running for the general classification, a stage win would still be added to their team's victory tally for the year, so it was definitely worth fighting for.

However, Huang Chong was lurking in the lead group, sticking close to them. As they hit the 7.4% gradient 300 meters into the climb, he suddenly unleashed a massive anaerobic effort of over 1300 watts on the steep incline. He instantly shot away from the main group, dropping all his rivals in one go!

The spectators on site erupted in thunderous cheers.

This was the man in the Yellow Jersey, the overall leader!

A Climber who also had such a powerful Sprinting Burst and attacking prowess—who wouldn't love to see that?

Who wouldn't love it?!

Huang Chong charged ahead, and a quick glance back at the peloton revealed he had already opened a gap of several dozen meters.

Instead of letting up, he continued his attack, getting out of the saddle and rocking the bike for the remaining 700 meters, planning to power all the way to the finish.

And so, his gap to the main group widened, and in the blink of an eye, his lead had grown to nearly 30 seconds.

Everyone watching this unfold—the spectators on the roadside, the commentators on the broadcast, the fans streaming the race online—went absolutely wild.

That even included the entire coaching staff of his own Bora Team.

For the team, having a rider with such a terrifying killer instinct competing in the Tour of Hungary was a complete mismatch. It was like an attack from a higher dimension; he had no real rivals and faced no real challenge.

In the end, Huang Chong used his incredible sustained anaerobic power to hold his lead all the way up the final 1.3 km climb. He handily secured his second stage victory of the Tour of Hungary, finishing a full 34 seconds ahead of Thibaut Nis, who crossed the line in second place!

Factoring in the time bonus for the stage win, his lead over Ulissi, second in the general classification, had now ballooned to nearly two and a half minutes.

With a gap that large, it was now impossible for him to lose the overall tour unless he completely bonked on Stage 5 or was forced to abandon the race due to a serious crash.

「May 12th.」

The Tour of Hungary entered its final day of racing.

The riders arrived in a city in southern Hungary.

The stage started in Siófok and would take the riders all the way to Pécs, the capital of Hungary's Baranya County.

Pécs is located 198 kilometers southwest of the Capital, Budapest, nestled between the Danube and Drava rivers.