Chapter 439: Since We're Going on the Offensive, We Must Win a Big Enough Lead

Chapter 439: Chapter 211: Since We’re Going on the Offensive, We Must Win a Big Enough Lead

No one could follow Huang Chong’s attack, and no one dared to.

He launched his attack at the 3km-to-go mark on Hazallanas Mountain. Although the gradient eased closer to the summit, the average gradient for this particular kilometer was still a staggering 9.2%.

After the energy spent on the preceding climb, all the riders in the peloton were extremely fatigued. It took their utmost effort just to ensure they didn’t completely blow up.

Therefore, when Huang Chong made his move, O’Connor and Mas had no choice but to let him go.

Although none of them would admit it, especially not to the media, deep down they all knew: if the rest of the race proceeded normally, their chances of turning things around and winning the general classification of this Vuelta a España were slim to none.

Of course, there were still two weeks of racing to go, and no one could say whether some unforeseen accident might occur.

In short, Professional Cyclists can never give up before a race is over, not even with only 10km left to go.

Because competitive sports are where miracles happen.

“Huang, brilliant ride. After this stage, you’ll most likely gain another two minutes on the main group containing O’Connor and Mas.

Heading into the second week with a four-minute lead over second place and a seven-minute lead over third, things will be much easier for us.

Just ride steady to the finish on the long descent ahead. No more attacks.

Ahead of you, it’s just Adam Yates and Carapaz. They’re about two and three minutes ahead of you, respectively.

Trying to close a gap that big on the descent is too risky. Just let them go. You’ll still get third for the stage anyway.”

Just as Huang Chong reached the summit and was about to begin the descent, Aldag’s voice came through his earpiece right on cue.

‘Clearly, the sports director was worried that I, in my youthful hot-headedness, would risk it all and keep attacking on the descent for the stage win.’

‘But in truth, Aldag didn’t understand my personality at all.’

‘This is the Vuelta a España, not the Tour de France; a stage win just isn’t that important.’

‘Besides, I’ve already renewed my top-tier contract with the Red Bull Bora Team, and now I have this huge lead in the overall standings. Risk an attack on the descent for a measly Stage 9 win?’

‘I’d have to be out of my mind!’

So, Huang Chong had no objections to this.

Although if he really went all out, he certainly had a chance of catching the riders up ahead. But no matter how good his descending skills were, an attack always carried huge risks.

As the saying goes: A wise man does not stand beneath a crumbling wall.

Taking a pointless risk—in professional road cycling, that could literally get you killed. It would be meaningless.

In the end, Huang Chong prioritized finishing safely, letting Adam Yates and Carapaz go and crossing the line in third place for Stage 9.

But without a doubt, after today’s race, the top ten of the general classification leaderboard would undergo another major shake-up.

Adam Yates, who successfully stayed in the breakaway to the end and finished first, crossed the line about four minutes ahead of the main group and two and a half minutes ahead of Huang Chong, shooting him back up to fifth in the overall standings.

Meanwhile, Carapaz, who crossed the line second, finished the stage only a minute behind Adam Yates. He leaped from 18th in the general classification after the last stage all the way to third overall, even surpassing Movistar Team’s Mas. He was now only 30 seconds behind O’Connor in second place.

The Decathlon Team and Movistar Team were undoubtedly the ones who found this result hardest to accept.

But on Stage 9, there was absolutely nothing they could have done to change this result.

First, Carapaz and Adam Yates were simply too strong in the breakaway. With the Red Bull Bora Team deliberately letting them go, the other teams didn’t have strong enough support rosters to close the gap on the high mountain climbs.

Second, the Decathlon Team hadn’t sent a rider into the breakaway group that day, so they were completely unable to use satellite rider tactics.

As for the Movistar Team, although they had sent Oliveira into the breakaway, he couldn’t keep up with this year’s Tour de France King of the Mountains on the final climb and was easily dropped.

But what was most infuriating was that the Red Bull Bora Team had also toyed with the two teams’ main riders.

Although Adam Yates and Carapaz had significantly closed the gap to Huang Chong in the overall standings, he still maintained a commanding lead.

Yet Huang Chong had managed to put even more time into the leaders of those two teams, widening the gap significantly.

You could say that after the first full week of the Vuelta a España, Huang Chong was in a league of his own, leading second-place O’Connor by 4 minutes and 56 seconds in the overall standings. He had an unparalleled lead.

From second place on down, however, the gaps weren’t nearly as large, mostly just tens of seconds, or even a few mere seconds.

Fans in China and global supporters of the Red Bull Bora Team were undoubtedly the most excited about this result.

Huang Chong’s prospects for winning the title looked incredibly bright.

His climbing performance during the first week’s mountain stages had been particularly perfect and outstanding.

Everything was pointing toward him winning the first Grand Tour general classification title of his career.

However, there was something else on the horizon that would get Huang Chong’s fans even more excited.

Because on August 26, during the first rest day of the Vuelta a España, as the riders transferred to northwestern Spain to recuperate, the global official account for the Red Bull Bora Team, in coordination with top-tier companies Red Bull Group and Lightning, released something special. The three accounts almost simultaneously published promotional photos of the custom-designed liveries for the Olympic Golden Chariot and a golden helmet, produced especially for Huang Chong.