Chapter 460: Securing the Sixth Crown and Becoming the Best Lieutenant

“Huang, how are you feeling right now?”

“Are you feeling any physical discomfort?”

“If there’s anything wrong, you have to tell me immediately. I’ll have Charlie give you all the help you need!!”

…

With the Core Deputy Commander, Martínez, forced to withdraw from the race in its final stages, the news hit Aldag and the entire coaching and logistics staff like a bolt from the blue.

The team was only half a step from victory. If their Core Commander also got dragged into a mess as basic as food poisoning, ultimately costing them the championship, they would become the laughingstock of all the World Tour Teams.

Especially with Huang Chong’s current advantage in the general classification—a lead of a staggering 11 minutes over second place.

Fortunately, after hearing the sports director’s question, Huang Chong immediately put his mind at ease, saying bluntly:

“I’m fine. I always eat the food my girlfriend custom-prepares for me, and yesterday was no different.

The question now is, how many on our team have food poisoning?

It’s not… everyone but me, is it? A total wipeout?

Also, how are we supposed to execute our strategy for the rest of the race?”

Hearing this, Aldag first praised Chen Junyi for her contribution, then slowly said:

“Thank God. It’s a good thing Chen Junyi prepares your food separately. She basically saved the entire team’s life.

As long as you’re okay, everything else is acceptable!

As for how many on our team have food poisoning, I can’t be sure yet.

But based on their performance so far, the deputies who are struggling today have clearly all been affected.

This damn summer heat… the temperature must have been too high and caused the food to spoil!

But no matter what, we’re on the defensive from here on out.

Our deputies can no longer perform like they did yesterday and control the whole race. Just stick near the front of the main group.

I’ll do my best to keep the deputies who are feeling better, the ones unaffected by the food poisoning, by your side.”

Hearing this temporary adjustment, Huang Chong naturally had nothing to say.

This turn of events was something no one had anticipated, and he had to accept reality.

However, while their idea was sound, the other teams had no intention of cooperating.

As a result, even after the first Third Category Climb, the main group was still being controlled by the deputies of the Bora Team.

But after just that one climb, they had fallen 2 minutes and 54 seconds behind the breakaway group.

You have to understand, the first Third Category Climb—the Trueba Pass (Las Estacas de Trueba)—was 9.2 km long, but its average gradient was only 3%, and its maximum gradient was only 5%.

The average gradient in the middle section was even less than 2% for several kilometers.

For the main group to lose nearly three minutes to the breakaway on such a simple, gentle, long climb was undoubtedly extremely abnormal.

And after the second Third Category Climb, the Puerto de La Braguia, at the 55 km mark of the stage, the main group had fallen even further behind the breakaway, by a gap of 6 minutes and 7 seconds.

This still wasn’t a very difficult climb, and the other teams in the main group could clearly sense that the Bora Team’s pace today was too slow. It was completely abnormal.

On top of that, with the last conventional stage upon them, many general classification teams had devised do-or-die strategies. After all, if they didn’t go for it today, there would be no more chances.

The Ineos Grenadiers Team was a prime example.

Their leader, C. Rodríguez, wasn’t a strong time trialist, and if he didn’t attack on today’s mountain stage, he would only lose more time to the other leaders in tomorrow’s time trial stage.

At that point, whether he could even hold onto a top-ten position was anyone’s guess.

So, after the two Third Category Climbs, they couldn’t hold back any longer. They decisively formed a train and took control of the main group on the descent.

Not everyone in the Bora Team’s group of deputies had food poisoning.

At least for now, riders like Lipowitz, Adrià, and Aleotti showed no obvious signs of being unwell.

But the responsibility of these three was to ensure Huang Chong was safely delivered to the final, and most difficult, First Category Climb of the stage.

Moreover, Lipowitz himself was in the top ten of the general classification and had his own task of defending his eighth-place position. He definitely couldn’t burn through his energy early and lose his own competitive edge.

So, seeing Ineos come to the front to take control, they all breathed a secret sigh of relief.

“Good. A team has finally come up to take control. Huang, from now on, just focus on steadily following the pace of the main group.

Don’t make any attacking moves before we reach the final climb.

We still have at least three climbing deputies who can help you. With your current GC advantage, just finishing the race safely is a victory.

It doesn’t matter even if we can’t win this stage!”

Huang Chong knew, of course, that Aldag was trying to console him and didn’t want him to carry too much psychological pressure.

But for someone who had always fought with the mentality of winning everything, these words were still quite a disappointment.

‘I can’t attack early. Forget about the stage win—the final Polka Dot Jersey for the King of the Mountains is as good as gone.’

‘Winning three jerseys in a Grand Tour isn’t as easy as in a week-long race, after all!’

‘And after my birthday next year, once I turn 25 and can no longer compete for the White Jersey, it’ll be completely impossible for me to ever win three jerseys in a Grand Tour again.’