Chapter 2407 - 609: A Step Away

Chapter 2407: Chapter 609: A Step Away

Jan Frodeno could only grit his teeth and persevere.

Because Huang Kaiwen’s strategy was overt and straightforward, and he had no way to counter it.

If Frodeno didn’t want to give up his position, he had to continuously compete with Huang Kaiwen on endurance.

He already sensed the possibility of defeat.

Frodeno could only place his hopes on the upcoming 10 kilometers.

Inwardly, he cursed Huang Kaiwen in German with a stream of harsh words.

Even so, he couldn’t stop Huang Kaiwen from attempting to overtake him for the fourth time.

"Saint Kevin!!!"

"Saint Kevin!!!"

"Saint Kevin!!!"

The audience on both sides of the road screamed wildly.

Huang Kaiwen had managed to inject excitement into a contest of endurance and willpower.

When a competitor aims to overtake you, and the audience cheers for them, it’s sheer torture for an athlete.

Jan Frodeno had reached a point where he couldn’t cope.

His stamina had been excessively drained over this period.

Yet he still wasn’t willing to let Huang Kaiwen overtake him that easily.

Jan Frodeno gripped the sides with both hands and pedaled hard with both feet.

This was his last show of stubbornness.

However.

He could only watch in despair as Huang Kaiwen gradually surpassed him.

The feeling of wanting to strike but lacking the strength was a persistent torment.

No matter how unwilling, Frodeno could only fall back to a safe distance.

No point in accruing penalty time.

He stared at Huang Kaiwen’s back, hoping for Kaiwen’s stamina to falter and fall behind.

"Huang Kaiwen has overtaken frequently in the last two laps and reached third position."

"Yes, the battle for positions ahead is even more intense. Kyle Smith and Alastair Brownlee have exchanged positions three times already. Huang Kaiwen should be preparing to launch an attack for first place; the next part of the race will be even more exciting."

"Right, Huang Kaiwen seems to have already made his move."

Currently, Huang Kaiwen was less than 2 seconds behind Kyle Smith.

There was just over 7 meters between him and Alastair Brownlee.

Huang Kaiwen planned to overtake Alastair Brownlee at the next corner.

In triathlon cycling, there are specific overtake rules and distance requirements, which made things uncomfortable for Huang Kaiwen.

Otherwise, he would definitely ride pushing his opponent.

Alastair apparently realized Huang Kaiwen’s intentions too.

After all, Huang Kaiwen had already overtaken several competitors in succession.

Initially, he intended to engage in a battle for the first place with Kyle Smith, but at that moment focused on dealing with Huang Kaiwen instead.

After entering the bend on the east side of Victoria Square, Huang Kaiwen moved into the overtaking lane, and Alastair immediately took the left lane too.

The two were deadlocked for a few seconds, and then Huang Kaiwen returned to his position, keeping a safe distance.

It seemed Alastair was not easy to deal with.

Huang Kaiwen was prepared for a prolonged battle.

During the climb, Huang Kaiwen tried overtaking.

But the opponent was evidently prepared in advance.

Once again, Huang Kaiwen’s attempt was in vain.

Riding in the second position was also quite uncomfortable for Alastair.

He relinquished the first position partly for strategic reasons.

But having Huang Kaiwen, a competitor constantly challenging for position behind, was equally taxing.

This time, before Huang Kaiwen got into the overtaking lane, Alastair sped up proactively toward Kyle Smith.

Kyle Smith hadn’t expected someone to attempt to overtake on a downhill curve.

When going downhill, the speed is faster, not easily controllable.

Not daring to compete with Alastair, he could only decelerate slightly to yield his position.

After all, the race was over 20 kilometers, not just a battle of wills.

However, what he couldn’t accept was Huang Kaiwen following suit, also squeezing into the inner lane on the downhill curve.

This kind of reckless cycling made Kyle Smith feel very frustrated, but he could only helplessly give way to Huang Kaiwen.

Being used as a breakthrough point by one after another left him very displeased.

If looks could kill, Huang Kaiwen and Alastair would have been sliced to pieces by his gaze.

The on-site audience was divided.

Both Huang Kaiwen and the British local athlete were important to the British spectators.

But they could only shout once before quickly falling behind.

In such long-distance races, watching on-site was not as comfortable as watching on TV.

During triathlon cycling, there was a filming motorcycle on the riders’ right side.

It ensured spectators in front of the TV could clearly see every movement of the athletes.

There were only so many staff members, with some filming the front competitors and others the rear.

So many only occasionally appeared in the shot.

Except for Huang Kaiwen.

Regardless of his position, someone was always filming him.

Huang Kaiwen wasn’t in a hurry to overtake Alastair but rather maintained the pace, sticking closely behind him.

He began to replenish himself.

Tearing open energy gels similar to chocolate packaging and pouring them into his mouth.

Energy gels can effectively replenish consumed energy, but they are thick and sweet, adjusted for taste.

After finishing two, Huang Kaiwen drank a lot of water.

Even though Lance Armstrong continued to deny drug use, ultimately leading to disgrace.

Some of his practices in sports were very commendable.

It’s said he initiated sponsor collaborations.

This time, Huang Kaiwen’s sponsors provided shared data before the race, sent specialized scientific research teams for cooperation, and developed dedicated products.

Compared to the common energy gels sold for one or two euros a pack.

The energy gels Huang Kaiwen used were more suitable for his personal characteristics.