Chapter 492: The Last 2 Races of the Season (2)

Huang Chong was highly successful now, but he could still empathize with his old teammates.

He knew what it felt like to race for an Intercontinental Team.

After all, he had also climbed his way up from the very bottom, step by step. He hadn’t just jumped straight into the World Tour to go head-to-head with Pogačar.

Ultimately, however, it was an unsolvable problem.

Without some kind of hack, the current gap between Chinese cyclists and the European level was just too vast.

He could only offer some words of comfort:

“The training programs are actually pretty similar. The main difference is that World Tour Teams are far more advanced in their use of scientific data, their overall intensity, and the intensity of the races themselves. There’s a really significant gap in these areas compared to back home in China.

And I believe that beyond pure training methods, nutrition plays an inseparable role in enhancing a cyclist’s physical performance.

Most World Tour Cyclists start their professional training from a very young age, unlocking their potential through youth academies. This has always been their advantage.

But I’m confident that our country will put more effort into this in the future. At the same time, road cycling culture is already becoming widespread back home.

As long as more people get involved in the sport, especially the younger generation, our country’s overall strength is bound to develop rapidly. That will close the gap between us and European powerhouses like Belgium, Spain, Italy, France, and Slovenia.

Take the Slovenia Team for example. It’s because of Pogačar that cycling clubs and youth academy systems all across their country have seen such explosive growth.

You guys don’t need to feel too disheartened.

Your own passion for road cycling is the most important foundation.

As the old saying goes, the son carries on the father’s trade.

When you have kids in the future, you can start training them from a young age. You’re all excellent professional athletes; you can definitely help the next generation avoid the detours we had to take.”

Although Huang Chong’s words sounded formal, they were also true.

If one generation can’t succeed, the only option is to pin their hopes on the next.

Of course, you can’t force that hope upon them. Interest itself needs to be nurtured slowly.

But with the parents’ experience, at least, if the next generation actively chooses to follow the same path, it will certainly be much, much easier for them.

…

「The next day.」

Once the brief reunion was over, Huang Chong and the National Team parted ways at the airport in Switzerland. He was headed back to his team headquarters, while Coach Han and the others were, of course, returning to China.

Before they parted, Coach Han didn’t say much. He simply patted Huang Chong’s shoulder, his face full of admiration and fatherly kindness, and said,

“I’ll be waiting for your return in China. When you come to the Capital, be sure to contact me. I’ll take you to try some classic Capital cuisine.”

Huang Chong nodded firmly and thanked him with a smile.

Coach Han’s help and mentorship felt like that of a master to a disciple. Huang Chong was determined to pay him a personal visit at his home once he returned to China.

‘He just hoped that the “classic Capital cuisine” the coach mentioned wasn’t *douzhi’er*.’

After all, as someone from Zhejiang Province, Huang Chong wasn’t sure he could handle a delicacy with such a… unique flavor.

If he couldn’t stomach it, things would get a little awkward.

After successfully returning to the German Team’s headquarters, the team owner, Denke, along with the entire team staff and his teammates, had already prepared a welcoming ceremony, awaiting his triumphant return.

A World Championships title and an Olympic gold medal aren’t quite the same.

Because in Europe, the importance of the former is slightly greater than the latter.

And the lineup of competitors at the World Championships each year is also always a bit more star-studded than at the Olympics.

But for the team, the fact that Huang Chong could sweep the titles of the two most important international competitions—the Olympics and the World Championships—was also a massive publicity coup.

After all, for the next year of racing, he would be the only one who could wear the Rainbow Jersey while also riding the Olympic Golden Chariot and wearing the golden helmet.

For a single cyclist to hold both of the special honors designated by these two major competitions was a dream come true for the ambitious Red Bull Bora Team.

“Oh, look who’s back! If my eyes don’t deceive me, are you the newly crowned World Champion?”

The moment Huang Chong returned to the team, Denke spread his arms wide to welcome him, deliberately making a joke.

But for Germans, who are known for their rigor, his sense of humor was, admittedly, a bit hard to appreciate.

Huang Chong returned the hug with a helpless sigh and played along, replying with a smile:

“You’ve got sharp eyes, boss!”

Then, he went around and hugged every single team employee before continuing:

“Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to prepare such a grand welcoming ceremony for me. I’m truly grateful. Without your usual help and support, I could never have achieved such a significant result in Zurich.”

In the crowd, Roglič, who had also returned to the team, probably had the most complicated feelings upon hearing Huang Chong’s words.

Of course, he didn’t feel any negativity about Huang Chong snatching the championship from Pogačar.

But as a competitor, for his own national team to have such a powerful lineup and still lose the race… it truly felt like a cruel twist of fate.

But that was the cruel nature of competitive sports.

Back in 2020, he himself had been defeated at the last second by his own countryman, who snatched away his most promising chance to win the Tour de France.

Now, his own countryman had been beaten right before the finish line by his own teammate, who in turn snatched away the World Championships title.

One day in the future, Huang Chong would also have a major championship snatched away by a newcomer.

Fortunes turn, and each generation produces new talents. This was all an inseparable and crucial part of competitive sports.

After the brief welcoming ceremony ended, Huang Chong finally returned home to get some rest.

However, just as he got home and was about to make himself some food—while also planning to take the opportunity to reply to all the congratulatory messages from contacts, family, and friends he’d received after the World Championships—the sports director paid him a rare visit.

Aldag’s purpose for this trip was simple. Being a serious German, he wasn’t there to reminisce; he was there to discuss Huang Chong’s upcoming race schedule.

This year’s World Tour season wasn’t over yet.

In October, after the World Championships, there were still two more World Tour races to be held.

One was the Tour of Lombardy on October 12th, and the other was the Tour of Guangxi, held from October 15th to the 20th.

Normally, if a top cyclist like Huang Chong had to choose between these two races, he would absolutely pick the Tour of Lombardy.

After all, it was one of the five Monuments of cycling, so its importance was self-evident.

Moreover, the course itself was very well-suited for him, with several thousand meters of total elevation gain. Plus, he had just beaten Pogačar.

He was currently seen by everyone as the only cyclist with a chance to once again challenge Pogačar’s dominance.

The problem, however, was that Huang Chong was Chinese. As the only World Tour race held in China, how could he possibly not participate in the Tour of Guangxi?

You have to understand, other top riders from World Tour Teams never miss a race held in their home country, even if it’s a smaller event like a Class 1 or Class 2 race.

Huang Chong was now a top Professional Cyclist himself, and his greatest wish was to use his achievements to drive the overall development of the sport in his country. So, of course, he couldn’t miss a race held in his homeland either.

He had to race in Guangxi, if for no other reason than to give a gift to his fans back home who supported him.

After all, for most Chinese fans, it was their only opportunity to watch World Tour Teams compete against each other in person.

As the team’s sports director and coach, Aldag could, of course, guess what Huang Chong was thinking.

From the team’s perspective, he naturally hoped Huang Chong would race in Lombardy.

But the two races were scheduled too close together, and the Tour of Lombardy was incredibly demanding.

Pogačar had just lost the World Championships. He was bound to come out swinging at the Tour of Lombardy, where he was most dominant. Honestly, Huang Chong’s chances of winning weren’t great.

On top of that, Huang Chong had competed in too many high-intensity races since the Tour de France, so there were concerns about whether his body could handle it.

Meanwhile, Roglič had fully recovered from his injuries from the Tour de France and hadn’t raced in a long time. The team also needed to balance the participation of its two leaders in major races.

They had poached Roglič from the Visma Team with a massive annual salary of 4.5 million euros; they couldn’t just use him as a team mascot.

So, Aldag’s visit served two purposes: first, to ask about Huang Chong’s physical condition, and second, to ask which race he himself wanted to compete in.

In any case, it was absolutely impossible for Huang Chong to participate in both races.

Even if he had a body of iron, he wouldn’t be able to withstand that kind of strain.

Especially since the Tour of Guangxi was a week-long stage race!