Chapter Summaries

Bora Team made Huang Chong the leader for Milan–Turin, where he launched a solo attack on the Prascorsano climb and began building a lead on the descent. He left the team bus stunned as he pulled thirty seconds ahead of Alberto Bettiol, with the race still underway.

• Rolf Denk ordered Aldag to find races where Huang Chong could lead and help the team secure victories.
• Aldag named Huang Chong leader for Milan–Turin and instructed him to attack on the steepest part of the Prascorsano climb.
• Huang Chong studied the rivals and course before Bora Team traveled to Italy and reconnoitered the route.
• UAE Team Emirates controlled the peloton and caught the breakaway before the Prascorsano climb, where Alberto Bettiol attacked.
• Huang Chong followed Bettiol, then counterattacked repeatedly until Bettiol could no longer keep pace.
• Huang Chong descended alone and opened a thirty-second gap over Bettiol, astonishing Aldag and Denk on the team bus.

Huang Chong won Milan–Turin by attacking Bettiol on the climb and holding his lead to the finish, then watched Milan–San Remo and discussed his ability with Aldag. Impressed by Huang Chong’s rapid improvement and competitive resolve, Aldag began considering him for the upcoming Belgian WorldTour Classics.

• Huang Chong dropped Bettiol on the descent and the final climb, then won Milan–Turin with a lead of a minute and a half.
• Huang Chong earned 200 UCI points, raised his FTP to 422W, and celebrated the victory with Ralph Denk and Bora Team.
• Huang Chong toured Milan with Chen Junyi and surprised her by bargaining with locals in Italian.
• Huang Chong watched Milan–San Remo from the Bora team car as Philipsen won, Pogačar finished third, and Bora’s riders placed outside the top ten.
• Huang Chong told Aldag how he had beaten stronger riders at the Asian Championships, prompting Aldag to review the race and reconsider Huang Chong’s strength.
• Aldag began considering whether to include Huang Chong in the upcoming Belgian WorldTour one-day races.

Huang Chong prepared for his first major WorldTour one-day race, Dwars door Vlaanderen, as Bora Team assigned him a domestique role while allowing him to attack if the race opened a chance to win. The race began amid intense attention from broadcasters, fans, and his family, leaving Huang Chong poised to prove himself on Belgium’s difficult roads.

• Pogačar dominated the Volta a Catalunya, while Vlasov finished fourth overall, and Van Poppel and Meeus each took third in Belgian one-day races.
• Aldag named Huang Chong a domestique for Dwars door Vlaanderen, supporting joint leaders Van Poppel and Meeus, but told him to attack if he saw a chance to win.
• Chen Junyi explained the race’s difficult cobbled climbs and packed field, and Huang Chong vowed to fight anyone who stood between him and victory.
• Huang Chong reviewed the formidable start list as international and Chinese broadcasters debated his chances, with Coach Li predicting that Philipsen or Wout van Aert would win.
• Fans in Xianyun High School and Huang Chong’s family followed the race, while Huang Xiaocong’s roommates urged him to take them to the Tour de France if his brother raced there.

Huang Chong survived a major crash during Dwars door Vlaanderen, chased back to the leaders despite his injuries, and won the race with a decisive sprint against Jorgenson. His victory established him as a formidable newcomer in the UCI WorldTour.

• Huang Chong rode through the climbs and cobbled sectors with Van Poppel as the peloton split apart and the race approached Kanarieberg.
• A crash on the descent after Berg Ten Houte threw Huang Chong to the ground, but he used a controlled roll to limit his injuries and quickly got back on a spare bike.
• Huang Chong chased back with Van Poppel, received treatment from the Bora Team car, and crested Kanarieberg in a six-rider lead group as Van Poppel was dropped.
• Huang Chong's group caught the breakaway riders and was joined by Tarling, while attacks and cobbled sectors reduced the contenders to eight riders approaching the finish.
• Jorgenson attacked with seven kilometers remaining, and Huang Chong stayed on his wheel through the final cobbled sector before sprinting past him to win Dwars door Vlaanderen.

After winning Dwars door Vlaanderen, Huang Chong discovered he had fractured his right arm and withdrew from the Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix while recovering. As the Ardennes Classics approached, he told sports director Aldag that he wanted to race.

• Huang Chong won Dwars door Vlaanderen after overtaking Jorgenson in the final 200 meters, but a hospital scan later revealed a minor fracture in his right arm.
• Ralph Denk told Huang Chong to withdraw from the Tour of Flanders and focus on recovery, and Huang Chong agreed.
• Huang Chong missed the Tour of Flanders, where Van der Poel won, and watched Van der Poel also dominate Paris–Roubaix.
• Huang Chong and Chen Junyi watched a crash at the Tour of the Basque Country that injured Vingegaard and Jay Vine and forced Roglič and Evenepoel to withdraw.
• Huang Chong secretly used his healing ointment and recovered, then told Aldag that he wanted to race the Ardennes Classics.

After his right arm healed completely, Huang Chong returned from injury as Bora Team’s leader at La Flèche Wallonne. He stayed with the contenders through the rain and brutal climbs, then defeated Stephen Williams on the final ascent of the Mur de Huy to win the 2024 race.

• Huang Chong volunteered to race, and Charlie’s examination confirmed that his injured arm had fully healed.
• Aldag assigned Huang Chong to lead Bora Team at La Flèche Wallonne, and the team announced his return to fans.
• Thomas Pidcock won the Amstel Gold Race as Huang Chong trained on the La Flèche Wallonne course.
• Huang Chong survived the cold, rain, and repeated climbs while many favorites and most of Bora Team’s riders dropped out.
• Huang Chong helped catch the breakaway and entered the final Mur de Huy climb with the remaining contenders and teammate Adria.
• Stephen Williams attacked near the steepest section, but Huang Chong caught him, passed him in the final 150 meters, and won La Flèche Wallonne.

After winning La Flèche Wallonne, Huang Chong passed a medical examination and was named Bora Team’s leader for Liège–Bastogne–Liège, where he faced Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu Van der Poel for the first time. The 254.5-kilometer Monument began with Huang Chong among the favorites, and the chapter ended as the riders set off.

• Huang Chong overtook Stephen Williams to win La Flèche Wallonne, then thanked his team and told reporters his arm had recovered.
• Charlie examined Huang Chong and found no problems, so Aldag took him to Liège and selected him to lead Bora Team at Liège–Bastogne–Liège.
• Aldag warned Huang Chong that beating Pogačar would be extremely difficult and urged him to stay with Pogačar and study his racing.
• Du Wei, Zhou Ming, Li Zifan, and Wu Fang watched the race in Hangzhou, where Du Wei and Zhou Ming teased each other before agreeing to watch the Tour de France in person.
• The 175 riders started Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and Eurosport commentators Steve and Jimmy discussed Huang Chong’s chances against Pogačar and Van der Poel.

Huang Chong followed Pogačar over Eagle's Beak Hill in Liège–Bastogne–Liège, but Aldag told him to conserve his strength rather than risk being caught by the chasing group. Pogačar won solo, while Huang Chong secured second place, 37 seconds behind him.

• Nine riders, including Christian Scaroni, Gil Gelders, Rémy Rochas, and Fabien Doubey, formed the breakaway as UAE Team Emirates controlled the peloton.
• Aldag told Huang Chong to watch UAE Team Emirates and stay near the front, and Huang Chong followed the accelerating group through Côte de Mont-le-Soie and the crash-induced split.
• UAE Team Emirates caught the breakaway on Wanne, while Huang Chong stayed in the leading group; at Stockeu, he followed Pogačar up the steep climb and drew attention from the broadcast commentators.
• Van der Poel and other riders rejoined during the descent, and Hindley took over as Huang Chong’s domestique after Vlasov faded on Côte de Rosier.
• On Eagle's Beak Hill, Pogačar attacked, but Huang Chong followed him over the summit; Pogačar then pushed the pace on the descent and flats.
• Huang Chong eased off on Furnace Hill after Aldag advised him to protect second place, and Pogačar rode alone to victory while Huang Chong finished second and Romain Bardet took third.

After finishing second behind Pogačar at Liège, Huang Chong gained UCI points and improved his FTP, while the team celebrated his breakthrough. Bora Team then set its sights on winning the home race Eschborn–Frankfurt and told Huang Chong he would not ride the Giro d'Italia.

• Pogačar praised Huang Chong's strength after winning Liège, and Huang Chong said he was satisfied with his second-place finish despite wanting the victory.
• Huang Chong received 620 UCI points for his Liège result, raising his FTP from 436 to 448 watts.
• Vlasov and Lipowitz finished second and third at the Tour de Romandie, but Carlos Rodríguez took the overall title, leaving Ralf Denk frustrated.
• Huang Chong and Chen Junyi predicted that the team would assign him to Eschborn–Frankfurt rather than the Giro, and Aldag called to discuss his next race.
• Aldag told Huang Chong to help Bora Team defend its home victory at Eschborn–Frankfurt and confirmed that he would not ride the Giro d'Italia.

Huang Chong and Bora Team executed a daring two-rider attack to win the Eschborn–Frankfurt race on home soil. After Adria broke away on the second Feldberg climb, Huang Chong surged clear on the final Mammolshain ascent and joined him, then let Adria take the victory at the finish.

• Bora Team controlled the race while Huang Chong conserved energy, and its domestiques dropped the early breakaway on the climbs.
• Adria attacked near the summit of the second Feldberg climb and built a lead despite chase efforts from EF Education and Team dsm-firmenich.
• Adria reached the final Mammolshain climb first and extended his advantage to a minute and a half over the peloton.
• Huang Chong attacked on the steep section of Mammolshain, dropped Jan Christen and the other contenders, and opened a gap of nearly fifty seconds.
• Huang Chong caught Adria with about fifteen kilometers remaining, and the two Bora riders worked together to finish well ahead of the peloton.
• Huang Chong eased off before the finish and let Adria win the race to the cheers of the German fans.

After joining Bora Team’s lineup for the Tour of Hungary, Huang Chong prepared to prove his stage-racing ability and strengthen his case for a Grand Tour spot. As the decisive climb on Stage 3 approached, he told his team director to have Zwiehoff and Buchmann exhaust the rival GC riders before he attacked on the final three kilometers.

• Adria thanked Huang Chong for giving him the Frankfurt victory, and the two celebrated together after the race.
• Bora Team rested Huang Chong and its other core riders for the Giro d’Italia, while Huang Chong watched Pogačar dominate and hoped to race a Grand Tour.
• Aldag assigned Huang Chong to the Tour of Hungary, where he planned to demonstrate his stage-racing strength and improve his chances of making the Tour de France lineup.
• Wellsford won Stage 1 for Bora Team, while Cavendish took Stage 2 after Wellsford suffered a mechanical problem near the finish.
• On Stage 3, Huang Chong instructed the team director to send Zwiehoff and Buchmann hard up the first nine kilometers of the Kékes Peak climb before he attacked on the final three kilometers.

Huang Chong dominated the Tour of Hungary’s mountain stages, winning the overall title and all three classification jerseys while helping Buchmann secure second place. After seeing his results, Bora Team’s owner approved moving Huang into the core lineup and planned to send him to the Critérium du Dauphiné to support Primož Roglič.

• Zwiehoff and Buchmann drove the peloton apart on Kékes Peak before Huang Chong attacked on the final steep section, dropped Thibau Nys, and won Stage 3 by a large margin.
• Huang Chong launched a powerful attack on the Etyek climb in Stage 4 and took his second stage victory, extending his overall lead over Ullrich to nearly two and a half minutes.
• On Stage 5, Huang Chong tried to help Buchmann gain second place overall, but Buchmann could not shake the other contenders, so Huang rode away to win the stage while Buchmann moved into second overall after Ullrich was dropped.
• Huang Chong won the Tour of Hungary and all three classification jerseys, and Bora Team celebrated a first-and-second-place finish with Buchmann.
• During the Giro d'Italia rest day, Ralph Denk told Aldag that Huang Chong belonged in the core lineup, and Aldag planned to have him train with Primož Roglič before sending him to the Critérium du Dauphiné.

After his Tour of Hungary victory, Huang Chong joined Bora Team’s core training group and was officially selected as Primož Roglič’s personal domestique for the Critérium du Dauphiné, a major preview of the Tour de France. The chapter ended as the race began, with Huang Chong’s inclusion fueling excitement among domestic fans and commentators.

• Huang Chong’s training alongside Primož Roglič and the team’s other top riders signaled that Bora Team had moved him into its core lineup.
• While watching Pogačar win the Giro d’Italia, Huang Chong promised Chen Junyi he would try to win the Giro’s Infinite Cup for her next year, and she accepted.
• After celebrating Daniel Martínez’s Giro runner-up finish and Huang Chong’s Tour of Hungary victory, Aldag announced Bora Team’s Critérium du Dauphiné roster with Huang Chong among Roglič’s domestiques.
• Aldag assigned Huang Chong to serve as Roglič’s personal domestique and make the final pull before summit finishes, while Vlasov and Hindley controlled the peloton.
• Huang Chong reviewed the Dauphiné’s mountainous route and reflected with Chen Junyi on the gap between European and Chinese racing.
• When the Critérium du Dauphiné began on June 2, Bora Team’s lineup announcement convinced domestic fans that Huang Chong had earned a place in the team’s Tour de France plans, while Eurosport commentators praised his selection.

Huang Chong guided Primož Roglič safely through the Dauphiné’s opening sprint stage, then launched a decisive attack in the final kilometer of Stage 2 to deliver Roglič the mountain-stage victory. Roglič took the yellow jersey and a 30-second overall lead, while thick summit fog obscured the finish for viewers.

• Mads Pedersen won Stage 1 and took the yellow and green jerseys, while Huang Chong and Primož Roglič finished safely in the peloton.
• A five-rider breakaway formed on Stage 2, and Bora Team’s Denz and Vlasov helped the peloton reduce its advantage as the route climbed toward Col de la Loge.
• With Armirail still ahead and fog thickening near the summit, Huang Chong asked Aldag if he should attack, and Aldag told him to carry Roglič from the final kilometer.
• Huang Chong attacked beneath the final-kilometer arch, caught Armirail, and led Roglič away from the chasing riders before tiring near the finish.
• Primož Roglič sprinted the final 150 meters to win Stage 2, claim the yellow jersey, and open a 30-second lead over Magnus Cort.

Huang Chong helped Primož Roglič win Stage 3 of the Critérium du Dauphiné after the other teams tried to disrupt Bora's control of the race. Roglič strengthened his general classification lead, but Remco Evenepoel's time-trial strength made the upcoming ITT a serious threat.

• After Stage 2, Roglič took the yellow jersey with a 24-second lead over Magnus Cort, crediting Huang Chong's lead-out for the advantage.
• Roglič praised Huang Chong in a post-race interview, while Huang Chong dismissed reporters' attempts to provoke conflict within Bora Team.
• On Stage 3, Christopher Juul-Jensen attacked to catch the breakaway, while Valentin Madouas's solo chase failed and left him exhausted.
• With 10 km remaining, Ineos, UAE Team Emirates, and Visma–Lease a Bike raised the pace to tire Bora's riders and blunt Huang Chong's lead-out.
• At 2.5 km from the finish, Huang Chong forced a path through the peloton and brought Roglič to the front before launching their attack with 2 km remaining.
• Huang Chong led Roglič through the final sprint, and Roglič won Stage 3, extending his lead while Evenepoel remained a threat in the next day's ITT.

Huang Chong finished second to Remco Evenepoel in the Dauphiné time trial, and Roglič lost his overall lead despite Bora’s earlier efforts. On Stage 5, a major crash forced the organizers to neutralize the stage and cancel its results.

• Aldag praised Huang Chong for supporting Roglič and promised him future opportunities to lead Bora Team in selected races.
• Huang Chong took the provisional lead in the time trial after beating Tarling, but Evenepoel finished sixteen seconds faster and Roglič finished nearly forty seconds behind Evenepoel.
• Roglič lost the yellow jersey and fell 5.18 seconds behind Evenepoel, prompting fans to call for Huang Chong to lead Bora Team at the Tour de France.
• Aldag urged Huang Chong to help Roglič regain the lead on the remaining climbs, and Huang Chong agreed despite feeling unfairly burdened.
• Rain, standing water, and strong winds caused a mass crash on Stage 5, bringing down Huang Chong, Roglič, and dozens of riders.
• After eight riders withdrew with serious injuries, officials neutralized the remainder of Stage 5 and canceled its results.

Huang Chong helped Primož Roglič overcome a serious shoulder injury to reclaim the Critérium du Dauphiné lead and secure the overall title, sacrificing his own result to protect his team leader. Bora Team named Huang Chong its second rider for the Tour de France, and the team officially became Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe.

• After a crash injured Roglič's shoulder and forced many riders to abandon, Huang Chong carried Roglič's nutrition and guided him safely through Stage 6's descent.
• Huang Chong broke away on the final climb of Stage 6, then slowed to join Roglič and led him to the stage win, helping Roglič regain the Yellow Jersey.
• On Stage 7's queen stage, Huang Chong attacked with Roglič on the final climb and helped him win the stage, putting the overall title nearly beyond reach of his rivals.
• When Roglič cracked on Stage 8, Huang Chong gave up his own chance to improve his placing and guided him to the finish, securing Roglič the overall title and Green Jersey.
• Aldag named Huang Chong the second rider in Bora Team's Tour de France lineup, and Red Bull's acquisition of shares was completed as the team became Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe.

Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe announced Huang Chong’s place on its Tour de France roster, while his family discussed Huang Lingshan’s college plans. Huang Chong then focused on intensive time-trial training as the teams prepared for the Tour de France.

• Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe revealed its new branding, Tour de France lineup, and promotional photos of Huang Chong, prompting excitement among Chinese fans.
• Du Wei persuaded Zhou Ming to arrange a trip to France, and Li Zifan urged them to pursue a business partnership with Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe.
• Huang Xiaocong and Liang Xiaomei helped Huang Lingshan choose a vocational college in Xiamen, where she could rely on her second brother.
• Huang Chong strengthened his ITT training with individual coaching and advanced facilities as Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe prepared him for the Tour de France.
• The Tour de Suisse ended, and UCI WorldTour teams turned their attention to final Tour de France preparations.

At the Tour de France team presentation in Florence, Huang Chong saw the race’s star-studded field and learned he could pursue stage wins while supporting Roglič. As Stage 1 began, the system awarded him the Highest Participation Achievement Honor Medal and advanced his rider level, but sharply increased the cost of improving his FTP.

• Huang Chong watched the Tour de France teams take the stage in Florence, where his Red Bull Bora Team lineup featured Roglič, Huang Chong, and six strong teammates.
• Aldag told Huang Chong he could pursue stage wins if the situation allowed, even while supporting Roglič.
• On June 29, Huang Chong started the difficult 206-kilometer opening stage from Florence to Rimini with seven categorized climbs.
• At kilometer zero, the system awarded Huang Chong five points to all weakness attributes and two Special Recovery Energy Gels for competing in the Tour de France.
• Huang Chong’s panel showed an FTP of 463 watts and advanced professional rider status, while the system raised the cost of each FTP point from 50 to 500 basic optimization points.

Huang Chong rode the opening stage of his first Tour de France while supporting Primož Roglič, then seized a late opportunity to sprint for himself. He finished third behind Romain Bardet and Frank van den Broek, earning a podium place and a four-second time bonus.

• Huang Chong assessed his improved abilities and told Aldag he would conserve energy early in the Tour and focus on supporting Primož Roglič.
• A six-rider breakaway gained time, and Huang Chong let Romain Bardet attack on the final Category 2 climb rather than chase him.
• Huang Chong briefly startled Visma–Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates when he surged forward to collect bottles for himself and Roglič.
• With three kilometers remaining, Huang Chong moved toward the front, then used the final turns to gain a gap on the peloton.
• Huang Chong held off the sprinting group to finish third in Stage 1, behind Bardet and Frank van den Broek, and earned a four-second time bonus.