Chapter Summaries

After returning from his Olympic victory, Huang Chong joined Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe’s celebrations and prepared for the Vuelta a España. The team chose him as its leader instead of the still-injured Primož Roglič, and the chapter ended with Huang Chong focused on winning his first Grand Tour and building toward next year’s Tour de France.

• Huang Chong returned to Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe headquarters, where Ralph Denk, Rolf Aldag, staff, and company executives welcomed him after his Olympic gold medal.
• Huang Chong traveled to Austria with Chen Junyi to help design his Olympic champion helmet and custom gold Specialized bike.
• Denk and Aldag decided not to risk Primož Roglič’s recovery and selected Huang Chong to lead the team at the Vuelta a España.
• Roglič accepted the team’s decision to keep him out of the Vuelta and planned to return in later races if his back healed.
• Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe announced a Vuelta lineup led by Huang Chong and backed by Vlasov, Daniel Martínez, and other climbers, while rival teams named strong contenders including João Almeida and Sepp Kuss.
• Bookmakers made Huang Chong the slight favorite, and he planned to target the overall title and UCI points.

Huang Chong began the Vuelta a España as the overwhelming overall favorite and won its opening 12-kilometer time trial with a stunning average speed of 59.113 KM/H. His victory left him wearing all four Grand Tour leader’s jerseys during his career.

• Huang Chong arrived in Lisbon with Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe, inspected the opening routes, and attended the Vuelta team presentation as a leading favorite for the overall title.
• The Vuelta began with a flat 12-kilometer time trial, where Victor Campenaerts, Jay Vine, Eduardo Affini, Stefan Küng, Mathias Vacek, and McNulty successively set fast times.
• Aldag told Huang Chong to measure his ride against João Almeida, but Huang Chong decided to pursue the stage win and avenge his earlier loss to McNulty.
• Huang Chong reached the 7-kilometer time check seven seconds ahead of Wout van Aert’s fastest split, averaging over 59 KM/H.
• Huang Chong finished in just over 12 minutes 20 seconds, beat McNulty by 15 seconds, and won the stage with an average speed of 59.113 KM/H.
• Huang Chong’s victory earned him the honor of wearing all four Grand Tour leader’s jerseys at once.

Huang Chong began the Vuelta by winning the opening time trial and wearing all four leader’s jerseys, then kept the Red Jersey through two sprint stages in Portugal. As the race returned to Spain for a punishing mountain stage, he prepared to defend his narrow lead against the other GC contenders.

• Huang Chong won the opening 12-kilometer time trial, took the Red and White Jerseys through his performance, and temporarily received all four classification jerseys.
• After the time trial, Huang Chong said the Vuelta was too difficult to judge from an early lead and that he hoped to defend his advantage stage by stage.
• Groves beat Wout van Aert in the S2 sprint after a crash near the finish, while Huang Chong finished safely with the sprinters and lost no time.
• Wout van Aert won the S3 sprint and gained time on Huang Chong, but Huang retained the Red Jersey by one second while Groves kept the Green Jersey.
• The riders returned to Spain for S4, a mountain stage finishing on the steep Pico Villuercas climb, where Huang Chong expected the GC contenders to attack.

On the first Spanish stage of the Vuelta a España, Huang Chong conserved his team’s climbing domestiques before UAE Team Emirates drove the race hard up Pico Villuercas. Huang attacked after the steepest section and dropped Lennert Van Eetvelt, leaving Van Eetvelt beaten by the same rival on another steep climb.

• Five riders broke away, but Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe controlled the gap while Huang Chong saved his climbing support for the final ascent.
• Huang rejected Aldag’s suggestion to increase the pace and told his director to preserve Vlasov and Daniel Martínez for later mountain stages.
• Wout van Aert was dropped early on Pico Villuercas, and UAE Team Emirates took the front before the steep final section.
• UAE Team Emirates’ pace reduced the leading group to seven riders, including Huang Chong, João Almeida, and Lennert Van Eetvelt.
• Huang attacked after a hairpin on the climb, dropped Almeida, and then distanced Van Eetvelt, repeating their duel from the UAE Tour.

Huang Chong won Stage 4 of the Vuelta a España with a solo attack, building a massive general classification lead, while Van Eetvelt admitted he had misjudged the climb. After the sprinters contested Stage 5, Huang Chong prepared cautiously for Stage 6, recalling its potential for a decisive breakaway.

• Huang Chong dropped his pursuers on the steep concrete climb and won Stage 4 by more than two and a half minutes over Almeida’s group, taking the red and white jerseys.
• Huang Chong said his chances of winning the Vuelta had improved but that it was too early to call the overall result.
• Almeida praised Huang Chong’s strength, while Van Eetvelt admitted he regretted responding to the attack and had overestimated his own ability.
• Pavel Bittner won Stage 5’s sprint, with Wout van Aert and Groves finishing second and third.
• Huang Chong approached Stage 6 cautiously because he remembered Ben O'Connor gaining six and a half minutes on Primož Roglič during the same stage in his previous life.

Huang Chong faced the possibility of losing the GC Red Jersey when Ben O'Connor attacked from a large breakaway on S6. After Aldag explained why Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe was waiting for rival teams to help chase, Huang Chong understood the strategy and trusted the team to protect his lead if necessary.

• Huang Chong entered S6 with a nearly five-minute GC advantage over Ben O'Connor and agreed to let the breakaway riders contest the stage.
• Thirteen riders formed the breakaway on Puerto del Boyar, including O'Connor and Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe's Lipowitz.
• After the intermediate sprint, O'Connor and Gijs Leemreize attacked on Puerto del Viento, and Aldag ordered Lipowitz to chase them.
• Huang Chong warned Aldag that O'Connor's growing lead could cost him the Red Jersey and urged the team to chase on Puerto Martinez.
• Aldag explained that the other GC teams had to be pressured into helping control O'Connor, and Huang Chong accepted the plan and trusted the team to defend his jersey.

Ben O'Connor won Stage 6 after a long solo breakaway, but Huang Chong narrowly retained the Red Jersey by finishing two seconds ahead of him in the general classification. Huang Chong then won Stage 7 with the sprint group, while Stage 8 loomed as his next major test in Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe's plan to keep him in the Red Jersey throughout the Vuelta.

• Ben O'Connor dropped Lipowitz and rode solo to win Stage 6 after building a lead of nearly five and a half minutes over the peloton.
• Huang Chong attacked near the finish, limited O'Connor's overall gain, and kept the Red Jersey by two seconds despite conceding the stage win.
• O'Connor rose from twenty-third to second overall, Lipowitz climbed to fourth, and Jimmy praised Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe's tactics on the broadcast.
• Wout van Aert won Stage 7 from the main group, while Groves finished more than a minute behind and could not contest the sprint.
• Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe prepared for Stage 8's steep uphill finish, where Huang Chong needed to defend his narrow lead over O'Connor.

Huang Chong’s rivals forced a fierce chase and attacked on the final climb, but he dropped the GC contenders and caught the breakaway to win Stage 8. He finished with a much larger lead over Ben O'Connor in the Red Jersey.

• Seven riders, including Oier Lazkano and Harold Tejada, formed the breakaway, while Ben O'Connor tried and failed to escape the peloton again.
• Israel–Premier Tech and Bahrain Victorious drove the pace on the Category 2 climb, and the peloton steadily cut the breakaway’s lead.
• João Almeida fell behind before the final climb, and a crash caught several UAE Team Emirates riders and Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe domestique Vlasov.
• Daniel Martínez attacked on the steep final climb and led out Huang Chong, who dropped Mas, Landa, Skjelmose, and the other GC leaders.
• Huang Chong caught Lazkano and Tejada, dropped Tejada in the final 500 meters, and won the stage with his hands raised.

Huang Chong dominated Stage 8 of the Vuelta a España, restoring a commanding lead as rival leaders faltered and João Almeida withdrew after contracting COVID. On the grueling Stage 9, Adam Yates and many other contenders joined a huge breakaway, while Huang Chong and Aldag chose to let the rivals spend their strength as long as they did not threaten the Red Jersey.

• Huang Chong dropped Tejada to win Stage 8 and rebuilt his lead over Ben O'Connor to 1 minute and 58 seconds.
• João Almeida was diagnosed with COVID and withdrew, prompting UAE Team Emirates to shift Adam Yates toward stage wins instead of the general classification.
• UAE Team Emirates sent Jay Vine, Marc Soler, and Adam Yates into the Stage 9 breakaway, joined by riders from many other teams.
• Huang Chong asked Aldag why the breakaway had grown so large, and Aldag advised him to ride normally unless a rider in the overall top ten was in the group.
• Aldag said Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe could let Adam Yates and Carapaz pursue the breakaway, allowing rival teams to pace the peloton while Huang Chong's team conserved energy.

Huang Chong’s team let the breakaway gain time before Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale took over the chase on the punishing mountain stage. With his rivals’ domestiques exhausted, Huang Chong attacked on Hazallanas Mountain and widened his general classification lead over O'Connor and Mas.

• Huang Chong told Adria to ease the pace because Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale and Movistar Team were refusing to help chase the breakaway.
• Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale sent three domestiques to the front after Adam Yates moved into third overall and threatened O'Connor’s position.
• The climbs shattered the breakaway, and Adam Yates rode away from David Gaudu with help from Jay Vine while Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale’s domestiques gradually dropped out.
• Aldag asked Huang Chong to gain time on O'Connor and Mas, and Huang Chong agreed to attack after Vlasov and Martínez raised the pace.
• Huang Chong attacked with about three kilometers left in the final Hazallanas ascent, and O'Connor and Mas could not follow as he extended his lead.

Huang Chong safely finished third on Stage 9, extending his overall lead to nearly five minutes before the Vuelta a España’s first rest day. He began the second week in the general classification lead, while Aldag planned to save his next decisive attack for Stage 13’s steep summit finish.

• Huang Chong followed Aldag’s advice, let Adam Yates and Carapaz finish ahead, and took third on Stage 9 while widening his lead over Ben O'Connor to 4 minutes and 56 seconds.
• Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe, Red Bull Group, and Specialized unveiled Huang Chong’s gold Olympic bike and helmet, decorated with a Chinese dragon and the Qian Trigram.
• Wout van Aert won Stage 10 from a five-man breakaway, and Eddie Dunbar won Stage 11 from a large breakaway as the general classification remained unchanged.
• Aldag told Huang Chong to ride steadily on Stage 12 and prepare to defend and counterattack on Stage 13, whose steep final climb offered a better chance to create a decisive gap.

Huang Chong conserved his strength through two stages as breakaway riders and sprinters claimed the victories, while the general classification remained unchanged. On the final day of the second week, the punishing Cuitu Negru stage promised renewed attacks, and Huang Chong said Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe planned to help him fight for the win.

• Huang Chong followed Aldag's instructions on Stage 12, and Castrillo won from the breakaway.
• Huang Chong and Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe let the breakaway go on Stage 13, where Michael Woods won and the general classification riders finished together eleven minutes later.
• Fans complained about the Vuelta a España's uneventful racing, but Stage 14's easy climbs led to a bunch sprint won by Groves ahead of Wout van Aert.
• Huang Chong and the other riders prepared for Stage 15, a short but mountainous route ending with the steep Cuitu Negru climb.
• Steve complained about the dull second week, while Jimmy predicted attacks and reported that Huang Chong's team planned to help him pursue the stage victory.

Huang Chong defended his Red Jersey as UAE Team Emirates repeatedly launched attacks to support Adam Yates and pursue mountain points. After he helped neutralize the first attack, a large breakaway formed on the second climb, leaving Huang Chong worried that his domestique Vlasov might not survive the selection before the final climb.

• Aldag told Huang Chong to conserve energy and watch the rival GC leaders, and Huang Chong promised that none of them would get away.
• Six riders formed the first breakaway, and Jay Vine joined them as UAE Team Emirates began attacking for the Polka-Dot Jersey and Adam Yates's GC position.
• Marc Soler and Adam Yates attacked on the first Category 1 climb, but Huang Chong followed Sivakov's later move and helped bring the breakaway back together on the descent.
• A second breakaway of about twenty riders formed after Jay Vine attacked, with George Bennett joining the group and most GC teams sending domestiques.
• Sivakov and Jay Vine split the breakaway on the second Category 1 climb, and Huang Chong feared Vlasov would be dropped like Daniel Martínez and leave him without support for the final climb.

Huang Chong attacked on Cuitu Negru and caught the breakaway riders in the final kilometers of Stage 15. He pulled away from Castrillo in the fog and won the stage aboard the gold bike.

• UAE Team Emirates reduced the breakaway to seven riders as Jay Vine paced for Sivakov toward the final climb.
• Sivakov attacked on Cuitu Negru and dropped several domestiques while the gap to the peloton grew.
• Huang Chong waited for Landa to attack on the steep section, then counterattacked when the other general classification leaders stopped responding.
• Huang Chong chased alone, caught Vlasov and Castrillo beneath the one-kilometer-to-go arch, and rode past them.
• Huang Chong pulled away from Castrillo on the steep, fog-covered final kilometer and crossed the finish line first.

Huang Chong extended his commanding Vuelta lead with a dominant Stage 15 victory, then conserved energy through the next stages as other riders claimed the wins. With the overall title nearly secure, Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe prepared to support him in the final three stages, while the battle for the remaining podium places remained open.

• Huang Chong won Stage 15 atop Cuitu Negru, finishing ahead of Castrillo and widening his overall lead over Ben O'Connor and Mas to roughly nine and eleven minutes.
• Ben O'Connor and Mas admitted at the second rest-day press conference that overturning Huang Chong's lead was unrealistic and focused instead on defending their podium positions.
• Huang Chong let the breakaway contest Stage 16, where Wout van Aert crashed and abandoned alongside Rémy Rochas, Callum Scotson, and Tom Paquot, and Marc Soler won the stage.
• Groves took the Green Jersey after van Aert's withdrawal and won Stage 17, while Urko Berrade claimed Stage 18 for Kern Pharma.
• Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe committed to supporting Huang Chong's pursuit of more stage wins in the final three days, as the other teams prepared to fight over second and third overall.

Huang Chong and Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe controlled Stage 19 of the Vuelta a España before Huang attacked alone on Alto de Moncalvillo. He won the stage for his fifth victory of the race, leaving the queen stage still to come.

• Before Stage 19, Huang Chong told reporters that his team planned to contest the stage but that he would avoid overexerting himself before the queen stage.
• Denz, Gamper, and the Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe domestiques controlled the peloton and caught the breakaway, while Miholjević rode on alone and earned the Combative Award.
• On Alto de Moncalvillo, Adria, Aleotti, Daniel Martínez, and Vlasov successively set a punishing pace for Huang Chong, dropping the other general classification riders behind.
• With five kilometers remaining, Huang Chong accelerated away from Vlasov and steadily extended his lead over the pursuing group.
• Huang Chong crossed the finish line first, celebrated with five fingers raised, and claimed his fifth stage victory at the Vuelta a España.

After Huang Chong secured the Vuelta a España overall title, the broadcast praised his dominance before the punishing queen stage began. As the race unfolded, Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe lost several key domestiques, leaving Huang Chong facing a dangerous final mountain stage with a depleted team.

• After Stage 19, fans celebrated Huang Chong’s fifth Vuelta stage win and his eleven-and-a-half-minute lead over Ben O'Connor.
• Steve and Jimmy discussed how Huang Chong’s all-around ability had overwhelmed his rivals and left other riders feeling despair.
• On Stage 20, Asgreen and Enzo Leijnse tried an early breakaway, but the peloton caught them before the first short climb ended.
• Jay Vine, Tejada, and Frigo formed a new breakaway, then Marc Soler and eight others joined them to pursue stage and mountain-classification goals.
• Gamper was dropped early, Vlasov fell to the back on the first categorized climb, and Daniel Martínez abandoned after the team doctor diagnosed food poisoning.
• Huang Chong learned that his domestique group might be devastated by food poisoning as the queen stage continued.

Huang Chong navigated a food-poisoning crisis on Stage 20 of the Vuelta a España and waited until the final climb to attack. He won his sixth stage while helping Lipowitz move up the general classification, with the final standings still depending on Skjelmose’s time.

• Food poisoning forced Martínez and several Bora Team riders to abandon, so Aldag told Huang Chong to conserve energy and focus on defending his overall lead.
• Ineos Grenadiers and then Soudal Quick-Step controlled the race, while Jay Vine took the temporary lead in the mountains classification before the peloton caught the breakaway.
• On Puerto de Los Tornos, Sivakov attacked, Landa chased, and Lipowitz followed Landa as Adria took over pacing for Huang Chong.
• On Picón Blanco, Huang Chong slowed to let Lipowitz catch him, then pulled for his teammate while Eddie Dunbar attacked ahead.
• Huang Chong caught Dunbar in the final 150 meters and won his sixth stage, bringing Lipowitz across in second and helping him overtake C. Rodriguez in the live general classification.

After Huang Chong helped Lipowitz finish second on Stage 20, he prepared to pursue a seventh stage win in the final Madrid time trial. As the strongest time-trial specialists began posting results, Stefan Küng emerged as a serious obstacle to Huang Chong’s bid.

• Huang Chong led Lipowitz through the final stretch of Stage 20, won his sixth stage, and helped Lipowitz gain ground in the general classification.
• Aldag praised Huang Chong for sacrificing his own duties to help the team, while Huang Chong said Lipowitz’s final placing depended on the time trial.
• Huang Chong told Aldag he would race Stage 21 while prioritizing safety, but he intended to fight for the win and keep gaining UCI points.
• The 24.6-kilometer Madrid time trial began, and Affini, Campenaerts, Schmid, and Baroncini took turns setting competitive times.
• Jay Vine and McNulty rode below full strength after UAE Team Emirates secured the Polka-Dot Jersey, leaving Baroncini in the hot seat until Stefan Küng beat his time.
• Huang Chong recognized Küng’s strong result as a major threat to his attempt to win a seventh Vuelta a España stage.

Huang Chong won the Vuelta a España’s final time trial, beating Stefan Küng and securing his first Grand Tour overall title after claiming seven stage victories. The race ended with Huang Chong receiving the champion’s honors and adding substantial UCI points, prize money, and FTP to his totals.

• Stefan Küng set the leading time trial mark, but Huang Chong reached the checkpoints faster and overtook Ben O'Connor on the course.
• Lipowitz lost sixth place to Skjelmose by three seconds, finishing seventh overall as Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe placed two riders in the top ten.
• Huang Chong sprinted through the final 150 meters to beat Stefan Küng by about five seconds and win Stage 21 in 26 minutes 23 seconds.
• Huang Chong was crowned overall champion, with Mas and Ben O'Connor completing the general classification podium; he also received the stage winner’s and White Jerseys.
• Huang Chong finished the Vuelta with 2,875 UCI points and 252,870 euros in prize money, raising his FTP to 476 watts.