Chapter 422 - 204: On the Same Steep Slope, Brutally Dropped by the Same Opponent

Not long after Jimmy finished speaking, as the main group arrived just 6km from the finish, the white-clad UAE Team spotted the steep climb looming just up the road. They quickly lined up, forming a train that instantly pushed to the very front of the pack.

Paced by the UAE Deputy Commanders, Denz, who had been riding ahead of the main group, was instantly swallowed up.

Huang Chong saw UAE take control at this point and knew they were planning to snatch the stage victory on the toughest 3km of the climb. But he wasn’t about to let them have it that easily.

So, he decisively upped his power, moved up right alongside the UAE Team, and surged to the very front of the peloton.

As he made his move, the leaders of the other teams—obviously no fools themselves—immediately pushed their way to the front. Under UAE’s pace control, they all charged onto the 3km-long, steep concrete climb together.

The sheer gradient immediately cranked the race’s difficulty to the maximum.

Even for a monster like Huang Chong, whose strength was clearly a cut above the other riders, he still had to shift down to his small chainring on the 13% concrete climb just to maintain a decent cadence.

Then, UAE’s Sivakov went directly to the front, setting a furious pace for his teammates. After less than 500 meters on the climb, they had mercilessly reeled in the last two riders from the breakaway.

After they had been climbing for about 1km, their average speed having dropped to just 16 km/h, they reached the steepest kilometer of the entire ascent.

Of this short, 3km climb, the middle kilometer was undoubtedly the most brutal.

Its average gradient exceeded 14%, and at its steepest point, a ten-meter stretch of road ramped up to a staggering 24%.

On a section like this, if an average cyclist didn’t shift their weight forward over the handlebars, their front wheel would lift right off the ground while pedaling, causing them to crash.

"The race has reached the toughest part of today’s climb!!

Look at the gradient showing on the broadcast—it’s over 20%!!

My God, it’s unimaginable just how monstrous the physical conditioning of these Professional Cyclists is compared to an ordinary person’s!?!

Look at the lead group now! Only seven riders are left, and they’re all still pushing forward together on this brutal climb!!

All the other riders have been swiftly dropped!!!"

"That’s right, the seven riders in the current lead group are: Huang Chong, Van Eetvelt, Almeida, Mas, Gall, Matthew Riccitello, and Landa!

C. Rodríguez, O’Connor, Kuss, and Ciccone—all these contenders have been completely shredded by the UAE Team’s attack!!

But of these seven, who will be the first to attack on this climb?!

We’ll just have to wait and see!!!"

And just as Jimmy finished his sentence, with only 4km to the finish, the gradient eased slightly to around 15%. Coming out of a hairpin turn packed with local fans, Huang Chong shot up out of his saddle and attacked!

"Huang Chong is attacking!!

And just as we expected! After clearing the steepest section, while the other riders were still gasping for air, he put in just a few powerful strokes out of the saddle on the turn and instantly dropped Almeida, who had been setting a furious pace right behind him, trying to break him!!!

None of the other World Tour Team leaders seemed willing or able to respond to such a decisive attack from Huang Chong—

Evidently, these top riders had all witnessed his epic battles against Jonas and Tadej in the Tour de France. They knew they couldn’t match his pace, so they could only watch as Huang Chong rapidly opened up a gap on the climb!

The one silver lining, however, was that the young Lotto Team rider, Van Eetvelt—who had gone head-to-head with Huang Chong on a steep climb during the final stage of the UAE Tour—actually managed to jump right on his wheel!!!

But can he stay with this attack from Huang Chong—"

However, before Steve could even finish his excited commentary, Van Eetvelt, who had managed to hang on to Huang Chong’s wheel for about two hundred meters on the 12% gradient, had a look of pure agony etched on his face.

Then, just as had happened at the UAE Tour, he was unsurprisingly dropped on the brutal climb, left further and further behind by Huang Chong, who was now seated and putting down a relentlessly steady cadence!

On the same kind of climb, he had been utterly blown apart by the same rival once again!!

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