September 29, 10:40 a.m. local time.
The most important race among all the remaining road cycling events of the 2024 season officially began.
Although Il Lombardia, one of the five Monuments, would still be held in Italy in October.
Even so, Il Lombardia's status could never compare to the Men's Elite World Championships.
After all, the Lombardia course was built around massive amounts of climbing and was practically Pogačar's backyard. It was not suited to Classics riders like Van der Poel.
That made this sole autumn Classic far less suitable for every type of rider than the World Championships, and naturally, it had fewer highlights.
Huang Chong wore the bright red kit of the China national team. Since he was allowed to ride the Olympic Gold Bike in the road race, even though China had only sent him, he still stood out as one of the most eye-catching and stylish riders in the field of more than two hundred.
Of course, while he was dazzling, he was also genuinely alone.
Being by himself did not feel good in the end.
This was unlike the Slovenia Team. Their national kit was already an extremely striking turquoise, and with eight riders competing together in a group, they were impossible to miss.
After the assistant referee by the roadside fired the starting pistol, the massive field of 206 riders officially set off from beneath the starting arch toward the finish line.
Naturally, the pace was not fast at first, because everyone had to follow the race director's car for a five-kilometer neutralized rollout.
Huang Chong simply rode near the back of the peloton and did not try to squeeze toward the front from the start.
The total distance of the World Championships was a whopping 273.9 kilometers, almost exactly the same as the