Chapter 499: Jealousy Makes Me Unrecognizable

The frenzied atmosphere created by the fans was relentless.

Along both sides of the wide, straight asphalt road, the cheers crashed down like waves upon the shore.

Out of concern for the group’s safety, the Red Bull Bora Team, led by Huang Chong, kept the peloton’s pace remarkably steady and slow.

Huang Chong glanced at the bike computer display floating before his eyes. Their current speed was hovering around 25 km/h.

As for his power output, even riding into the headwind, it was actually less than 200W.

For elite cyclists like them, this speed and power were clearly only useful for familiarizing themselves with the course, offering no real training value.

But considering the competition at the Tour of Guangxi, the other teams’ rosters posed no threat to him. So, a casual ride like this—a recovery ride within a recovery ride—was more than enough to just spin his legs.

But as the ride continued and they gradually picked up the pace, approaching 30 km/h, Dewey—who had become plump to the point of being round—felt the pressure mount instantly, even while drafting tightly behind Huang Chong.

Fat beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks as if someone were pouring water over his head.

Meanwhile, the decline in his cardiopulmonary function from the excess weight caused his heart rate to rapidly approach the upper end of his Zone 4 threshold.

As they hit a gentle incline, even while maintaining a constant pace, his heart rate instantly shot past 190, pushing him directly into an anaerobic state.

“Shit, Old Huang, don’t push the pace so hard! My heart’s about to explode!”

Huang Chong, at the very front of the group, heard Dewey’s grumbling. He glanced back at his friend and saw that his face was deathly pale, completely drained of color. He couldn’t help but feel a little exasperated.

‘Damn it,’ he thought, ‘it’s not even a three-percent grade, and we’re only going 30 km/h.’

‘The climb is only about a kilometer long, and we just started, but Dewey’s already getting dropped.’

‘The guy’s fitness is just pathetic!’

“Old Du, you really need to lose some weight when we get back to Hangcheng from Guangxi. If you can’t even handle this intensity, your health is clearly in a bad way!”

“Damn it, that’s easy for you to say— You’re one of the best cyclists in the world right now. How can you compare mere mortals like us to you? There’s no comparison! Besides, at this pace, it’s not like everyone else in the group can keep up, either—”

Before Dewey could finish, Zhou Ming, who was right behind him, couldn’t help but mock him:

“Hey, fatso, stop mumbling to yourself up there, will you? Our legs aren’t as weak as yours.”

If you can’t handle it, just drop back and rest. Stop blocking the way.”

Dewey’s performance was indeed suffering due to his weight, his fitness a shadow of its former self.

Especially after a long period of inactivity, his diminished cardiopulmonary function was a fatal handicap for an endurance sport like cycling.

But Dewey was the type of person who couldn’t stand being mocked or provoked to his face. He’d grit his teeth and go all out until he collapsed. So even on the verge of breaking, he had to fire back at Zhou Ming:

“Who the hell are you talking to? I was just messing with my buddy! Who says I can’t handle it? Watch me drop you in minutes! Old Huang, pick up the pace! I’m going to duel Eldest Young Master Zhou and see who cracks on this climb first!”

Huang Chong knew Dewey and Zhou Ming were just squabbling, but their behavior was frankly a little childish.

But he also knew Dewey was just putting up a brave front despite being at the end of his rope. He just wanted Huang Chong to increase the pace on the climb so he could go all-out with one last anaerobic burst, hoping to take Zhou Ming down with him.

But recklessly increasing the pace was dangerous, and besides, judging by Zhou Ming’s steady form, he was in no danger of losing. Even in an all-out anaerobic sprint, Dewey stood no chance. Naturally, Huang Chong wasn’t going to agree to such a foolish request.

He glanced back with a sigh and said,

“Old Du, stop fooling around. This is just a group training ride; there’s no need to take it so seriously. One more anaerobic push and you’ll really be toast. Go home and lose some weight first. Then you two can schedule a private grudge match!”

Dewey had a fiery temper, but he wasn’t stupid. He immediately understood that with Huang Chong’s current status, it was inappropriate for him to get involved in a petty feud on his behalf.

He calmed down at once. Panting heavily, he seized the opportunity to save face, turning back to Zhou Ming and saying,

“You heard him, General Manager Zhou. Today’s ride isn’t the time for a battle. We’ll settle this back in Hangcheng. I’ll let you off the hook this time.”

Zhou Ming’s face darkened when he heard this.

Dewey’s shamelessness was a quality he himself truly lacked. The man was a textbook example of someone who could twist any situation to his advantage.

‘Let him off the hook?’

‘If Huang Chong had actually sped up on the climb, Dewey would have been the first one to get dropped, guaranteed.’

‘He might be riding at eighty percent effort himself, but beating that loudmouth would still have been a piece of cake.’

With Huang Chong having squashed the argument, the group ride returned to a steady rhythm.

This group ride, jointly organized by the team and race officials, was more about giving back to the fans, letting them experience the joy of riding alongside World Tour cyclists.

The intensity was naturally kept low.

The route wasn’t long—only 60 kilometers.

Huang Chong and the others in charge of setting the pace would manage the time carefully, aiming to wrap up the event smoothly in a little over two hours.

At that intensity, any amateur rider would surely be able to keep up and complete the route.

This was the outcome everyone was hoping for.

Of course, while the event was a perk for the fans who participated, it was also, in a way, a bonus for the fans watching from the roadside.