October 20.
The final race day of the entire 2024 UCI WorldTour season officially got underway in Nanning.
As the venue for the circuit race that truly brought the Tour of Guangxi to a close, scenic, tree-shaded Qingxiu Mountain had crowds packed along almost every stretch of roadside that day.
Road cycling fans had gathered all over the mountain. Apart from the slightly roomier VIP viewing area beside the steep climb, the free areas-including both sides of the road at the foot of the mountain and the descent beyond the steep section-were crammed with people, shoulder to shoulder.
The man responsible for this turnout was unquestionably Huang Chong, who had delivered a spectacular performance on Nongla Mountain the day before and was determined to secure his second consecutive Tour of Guangxi title that day.
Before the race began, the directeur sportif of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe thought for a moment, then asked Huang Chong once more for confirmation. "Huang, as long as you finish safely with the peloton today, your current advantage already guarantees the overall win. Are we really going to take the risk of fighting for the final stage victory?
"Of course, you know I've never doubted your ability.
"And I know that a steep climb like Qingxiu Mountain might mean nothing but suffering for other riders, but it's your comfort zone.
"Still, as your directeur sportif, I need to confirm what you want one last time.
"Do you want the team to help you fight for another stage win, or should we bring this home safely and simply protect your overall title?"
Huang Chong naturally understood this conservative way of thinking.
As the directeur sportif of the team's third-string lineup, the man hardly even dared speak sternly to him now.
Rather than asking about tactical arrangements, he was really