Chapter 436: Getting Close to the New Sun Will Burn You All the Same

Chapter 436: Chapter 210: Getting Close to the New Sun Will Burn You All the Same

The stage was one long climb after another. It was also the last stage in southern Spain, and the scorching summer heat was brutal. Under a cloudless sky and a blazing sun, the peloton’s pace was understandably slow.

At present, Decathlon and Movistar Team were naturally the two biggest rivals for the Red Bull Bora Team.

After all, O’Connor and Mas were the top climbers in the general classification standings, ranked just behind Huang Chong.

But Mas’s racing style and abilities were very clear: he completely lacked the capacity for a long-range solo breakaway, which meant he would only resort to conservative tactics.

Therefore, even though his Movistar Team knew their leader was third in the overall standings, they made no move to take the front and help with the pacemaking in the peloton.

As for O’Connor, the guy certainly had strong attacking and breakaway abilities, but his fatal weakness was handling long, steep climbs. Since today’s stage was defined by such climbs, his team didn’t want to help control the main group either.

Huang Chong, riding right behind his teammates, was clearly not happy with the conservative tactics of these two teams.

‘Damn it, I’m the one leading the general classification right now!’

‘And these guys have the nerve to just sit on my wheel, drafting and saving energy, forcing my domestiques to burn themselves out for nothing.’

So he decisively put in a few hard pedal strokes, riding to the very front of the climb to speak with the teammate responsible for controlling the pace.

“Adrià, you can slow the pace down. Save as much energy as you can.

Since Decathlon and Movistar Team don’t want to participate in the peloton’s rotation, there’s no reason for us to help them chase the breakaway group.

For now, let the breakaway group extend their lead as much as possible.”

Adrià, who was responsible for controlling the pace in the early stages, had been a long-time partner of Huang Chong’s during the first half of the season.

Huang Chong had even gifted him the victory in Frankfurt.

Therefore, he had no objection to Huang Chong’s request. He heard him out and immediately nodded.

“Okay, I understand.”

Following this exchange, Adrià began to deliberately slow down. As a result, the breakaway group containing Adam Yates and David Gaudu quickly saw their one-and-a-half-minute lead balloon to over four and a half minutes.

A gap like this naturally had little effect on Huang Chong.

Adam Yates had started the day over nine minutes behind him, so even if Yates gained five minutes, Huang Chong would still retain a four-minute lead.

However, if O’Connor and Mas lost five or six minutes to Adam Yates by the end of this stage, the consequences for them would be severe.

So, faced with the Red Bull Bora Team’s deliberate sandbagging, the first team to get anxious was, naturally, the Decathlon Team.

Although the UAE Team’s Almeida had withdrawn from the race early, their team structure was still built around climbers.

If Adam Yates managed to completely rediscover his form thanks to today’s race, and with a rest day tomorrow, and the race moving to northwestern Spain next week for its second phase where the weather wouldn’t be as hot—then they really couldn’t guarantee they would hold onto second place in the general classification.

And so, seeing the Red Bull Bora Team start to phone it in at the front of the group, the Decathlon Team’s director, naturally able to guess the cause and effect, immediately got on the radio from the team car and urgently instructed his domestiques:

“Damn it, the Red Bull Bora Team is slowing down again.

The peloton we’re in is now five minutes behind the breakaway group. We can’t let this continue.

According to the virtual general classification, the UAE Team’s Adam Yates has moved up to third place overall, only two minutes behind our leader, O’Connor.

If that gap shrinks any further, all our previous efforts will be for nothing.

You guys get to the front now, take over control from the Red Bull Bora Team, and try to shorten the time gap before we reach the first First Category Climb!”

Like the Red Bull Bora Team, Decathlon hadn’t sent any riders into the breakaway group today, so their team was at full strength.

After hearing their director’s orders, three of their domestiques who had been sitting on the Red Bull Bora Team’s wheels immediately formed a train, pushed to the front, and took control of the pace.

Huang Chong, who was already positioned near the front of the group, felt a sense of satisfaction watching this unfold. He thought:

‘These leeches only know how to hide in the back and shamelessly draft off others. But in the end, I’m still their main target.

As if I’d let you have your way?

Even if you’re turtles who’ve been hiding for a thousand years, I’m still going to force you out of your shells today!’

Huang Chong was absolutely confident in his own climbing ability, so he wasn’t worried about Adam Yates closing the gap in the general classification.

If the Decathlon Team hadn’t come to the front to lead the chase, he really would have had his teammates let the gap to the breakaway group continue to grow.

For instance, letting it expand to six or even seven minutes, which would have vaulted Adam Yates into the top three of the general classification.

Unfortunately for his scheming, the Decathlon Team wasn’t that foolish. Under the pacemaking of their domestiques, they quickly brought the breakaway’s lead back under control, holding it at around four minutes.

After that, the race settled into an uneventful, steady pace typical for all the riders in a mountain stage.

But the three First Category Climbs today were immensely difficult. By the time they reached the first one, the Puerto de El Purche Climb, riders began to drop off in large numbers, both from the early breakaway and from the main peloton.