Chapter 484 - 227: A 100-Kilometer Attack, Is It Really Possible? (Part 2)

Then, as the first lap concluded, the peloton had shrunk the original 5-minute, 40-second gap down to 3 minutes and 40 seconds.

This meant that after just the first lap, the lead group’s advantage had been cut by a full two minutes.

Perhaps because the finish was still too far off, or perhaps because they deliberately wanted to avoid closing the gap on the breakaway group and disrupting their tactics, the Slovenia Team, who was controlling the pace, maintained a speed similar to the Foss Group’s throughout the entire second lap.

The 3-minute, 40-second gap, far from shrinking, had actually widened by about 20 seconds as they entered the third lap, growing to around 4 minutes.

Huang Chong did a quick mental calculation. ’There are still over 130 kilometers to the finish. It’s not a good idea to keep coasting at the back of the pack anymore.’ He upped his power, steadily working his way toward the front of the group.

And just as he’d predicted, on the third lap’s 800-meter short, steep climb, the moment the peloton hit the steepest section, the Spanish Team’s super-rookie, Castrillo, launched an attack, getting out of his saddle.

He became the first major rider in the peloton to make an aggressive move.

However, the Belgium Team wasn’t about to let a Vuelta a Espa?a stage winner get away. Taking over from the Slovenia Team, they immediately sent a deputy to mark his move.

Castrillo was a talented rider in his own right, but his breakaway win at the Vuelta a Espa?a had only happened because Huang Chong had intentionally let him go.

In a high-stakes, one-day race like the World Championships, his abilities clearly weren’t enough.

And so, just as the 800-meter climb ended, he was easily reeled in by the peloton.

However, while his attack failed to create a breakaway, it did manage to drop some of the weaker riders from the peloton.

A large number of riders were dropped on the climb, and the size of the peloton shrank rapidly to just a few dozen.

Huang Chong didn’t respond to the attack directly, simply drafting behind the Slovenia Team.

As someone who had been reborn, he knew that in his past life, the winner of the 2024 World Championships was Poga?ar. Therefore, his target was none other than the scorching sun right in front of him.

Getting too close meant he could get burned, but as long as the fire didn’t consume him, he would respond head-on, just as he had at the Liège Race.

Besides, the World Championships was a one-day race. Even if he blew up, it was far better than letting fear take root, better than being too cowardly to even respond.

Right now, Poga?ar was tucked in securely behind his teammates, advancing at a steady pace.

From his rival’s posture on the bike, Huang Chong could tell that for the man they called one of the Mars People, the first 140 kilometers had been a mere warm-up, costing him very little energy.

Of course, the same was true for him.

His system panel showed that his average power over the first 140 kilometers was a mere 303 watts.

For an ordinary person, that level of output would be unattainable.

But for him, it was really just a Zone 2 aerobic ride.

However, after they summited the two climbs on the third lap, with 126.6 kilometers remaining, a large group of riders suddenly launched an attack.

Huang Chong was positioned right at the front of the pack, so he had a clear view of who the attackers were.

There were nine in total, and all of them were crucial Core Deputy Commanders from their respective national teams.

They included De Plus from the Belgium Team, Tranic from the Slovenia Team, Cata?o from the Italian Team, Cort from the Danish Team, Sivakov from the French Team, Vine from the Australian Team, Vilmark from the US Team, Mite from the Norwegian Team, and Lipowitz from the German Team.

Seeing this, Huang Chong felt a sense of resignation.

Their timing was perfect. Although this group wasn’t aiming for the win themselves, they were clearly riding for their respective team leaders, getting ahead to create more tactical options for a later attack.

But he was the exception. With no deputies of his own, he had no tactical response to make.

"Oh my god! With 126 kilometers to go, a large group of deputies has just attacked from the peloton! They’ve quickly pulled away, and they all come from the top contending nations.

The race is really heating up now; the most exciting phase of this one-day classic is about to begin!"

As Tranic and the others quickly opened up a 20-second gap on the peloton, Steve’s commentary became audibly excited.

Everyone knows the formula: for the leader to attack, the Core Deputy Commander must pave the way first.

And as this group of deputies charged ahead, it was clear that with their combined strength, it wouldn’t take them long to catch the leading Foss Group.

And that proved to be true. By the start of the fourth lap, with 107 kilometers to go, the group was already just 15 seconds behind the leading Foss Group.

They had made up over three minutes in a single lap—such was the power of top-tier deputies.

The peloton, however, had still not picked up the pace during the third lap, remaining over three minutes behind the breakaway group.

Only upon entering the fourth lap did the overall pace quicken dramatically. Novak from the Slovenia Team went to the front to control the tempo, and before the next climb, he had already closed the gap to the now-fully-merged breakaway group to 2 minutes and 40 seconds.

With this acceleration on the flats, it was clear the Slovenia Team was about to make a move.

Huang Chong, already aware of their tactics, stuck like glue to Poga?ar’s wheel.

But before one of the Mars People could attack, Quinn Simmons of the US Team launched his own move, getting out of the saddle on the climb.