Chapter 371 - 187: I Have to Defend the Leaderboard on My Own

While he didn’t have a concussion, which would have forced an immediate withdrawal from the race, Roglič’s jersey was torn open all across his shoulder.

Moreover, his back had slammed hard against the ground, and it was impossible to know the full extent of his injuries at the moment.

They would only find out after the stage was over, following an examination by the team doctor.

"Right now, Primož’s situation doesn’t look good.

He’s clearly in a lot of pain!

But forget about that, Huang.

Whatever the results of his examination are after the stage, we have to keep fighting!

I have to deal with Primož’s situation now. For the remaining 10 kilometers, you’re on your own to keep pace with the peloton.

Remember, as long as you can finish in the same group as the other GC contenders, we still have a chance!"

After hearing Aldag’s instructions, Huang Chong felt a profound sense of helplessness.

Fucking hell. Visma Team was supposed to be the one with all the rotten luck in the first half of the year—

But in this Tour de France, even though Van Aert had crashed again yesterday, it wasn’t serious.

So their roster, ironically, was the most intact one here.

As for the unluckiest team in the Tour de France, right now, it was without a doubt their Red Bull Bora Team.

First, they lost their Core Deputy Commander, Vlasov, when he crashed out in Stage 9.

Now, just three stages later, their Core Commander, Roglič, had crashed in two stages in a row.

So, for the rest of the race, even with the help of his support rider Sindel, it would be practically impossible for him to fight for a good placement.

The team of support riders that the Bora Team had brought, apart from Sindel and Vlasov, were four men who were all specialists for flat stages and sprint lead-outs.

These men would be of almost no help to Huang Chong in the mountain and hill stages of the second and third weeks!

A massive shadow instantly fell over the Red Bull Bora Team!

Luckily, Huang Chong wasn’t plagued by the same bad luck and had successfully avoided the crash.

At the same time, the peloton he was in was only about 10 kilometers from the finish line, leaving other teams with no more opportunities to organize tactical attacks against him.

Otherwise, if he, the man in the Yellow Jersey, had been left to face the entire peloton alone, he would have been torn apart in minutes by the combined efforts of the other teams.

However, even though he managed to follow another team’s train for the last 10 kilometers, drafting smoothly all the way to the finish line and not losing any time to Pogačar and the others...

...the post-race injury report on Roglič offered no miracle.

His shoulder and back were both severely injured, forcing him to withdraw from the race prematurely.

When it rains, it pours.

After the stage, the atmosphere within the Red Bull Bora Team was extremely somber.

Having two core riders withdraw from the race back-to-back was, of course, a situation no one wanted to see.

At that moment, the greatest source of relief for Aldag and Denke was their bold and aggressive decision to bring the rookie rider Huang Chong to this Tour de France.

Otherwise, after today, their team might as well have announced its complete withdrawal from this year’s Tour de France.

"Although Primož and Vlasov’s Tour de France is over for the year, we still have Huang Chong, Sindel, and four support riders.

And Huang Chong is currently first in the general classification. We have no reason to give up easily; we must continue to fight!

The situation in the races to come will definitely be grim.

The other GC teams are bound to attack relentlessly on the mountain climbs.

I expect all of you support riders to give everything you have in the upcoming races to help Huang Chong defend the Yellow Jersey!"

Aldag spoke in a somber tone before laying out the strategy for Stage 13.

Huang Chong knew that he was now the Red Bull Bora Team’s sole Core Commander.

But achieving his goal this way brought him no joy at all.

If he had a choice, he would have much preferred to rely on his own strength, to defeat Roglič head-on, before becoming the team’s Core Commander.

It wasn’t that he didn’t think he was capable of it, but now, nothing could be changed.

From now on, he would have to rely on his own strength to defend his place atop the general classification leaderboards!

...