Who are you looking down on?

[Congratulations! You have successfully learned the mountain bike handling technique [Rear-Wheel Lift]]

[Reward obtained: 2 Basic Optimization Points, Specialized Bike Handling Skill Optimization Points +2, Virus Infection Immunity Miracle Drug *1]

[Virus Infection Immunity Miracle Drug: After taking this medicine, the host will gain permanent immunity to all types of viral infections, such as wound infections, transmissible infections, and proliferative infections.]

After three days of hard practice, Huang Chong finally learned [Rear-Wheel Lift]. His only consolation was probably obtaining this miracle drug for viral immunity.

Naturally, he was terrified of viral infections. Not to mention that they were still in the mask-wearing period, with restrictions not yet fully lifted—

After athletes got injured, they also faced the risk of infection or viral proliferation during rehabilitation.

Take the Manx Missile, Mark Cavendish. He crashed during his peak years and contracted the Epstein-Barr virus, ultimately unable to regain his racing form for five whole years.

If the owner of the Quick-Step team had not acted as his talent scout and given him one last contract opportunity, he would never have been able to return to the Tour de France after such a long slump.

Much less win those final few stage victories and become the greatest in history.

Without another word, Huang Chong took the miracle drug. He then transferred the [Rear-Wheel Lift] technique from his street trials bike to his road bike, earning 5 Specialized Bike Handling Skill Optimization Points.

Another day passed, bringing the date to July 21, 2022. He went on to complete the fourth bike handling skill: [Bunny Hop].

Since he had already mastered [Front-Wheel Lift], [Rear-Wheel Lift], and [Track Stand], the Bunny Hop posed no difficulty for him at all.

The core of this move was to clamp the brakes hard, stand steadily on the pedals while holding a track stand, crouch down, then use the explosive force of rising in an instant to rapidly bend both legs and propel the entire bike off the ground.

Of course, the system raised the completion difficulty slightly this time. It did not ask Huang Chong to simply perform a basic jump, but to use the technique to hop sideways upward ten consecutive steps, with his front wheel pressed against the higher step each time.

This method of completion undoubtedly increased the assessment difficulty. Huang Chong only managed to complete the task after several attempts, receiving the reward:

[Congratulations! You have successfully learned the mountain bike handling technique [Bunny Hop]]

[Reward obtained: 2 Basic Optimization Points, Specialized Bike Handling Skill Optimization Points +2, Extreme Anaerobic Threshold Enhancer *1]

[Extreme Anaerobic Threshold Enhancer: After taking this medicine, it can raise the host's maximum heart rate threshold during extreme anaerobic sprinting, extending endurance and explosive power in the anaerobic zone.]

After many days, Huang Chong once again saw a medicine that could raise his heart rate threshold and strengthen his heart. He was quite excited.

The longer he trained, the more he understood the importance of cardiopulmonary ability.

Having an innately powerful heart meant being far ahead of others in terms of ultimate talent.

Take Pogačar. His heart was leagues ahead of everyone else's.

Not only could his maximum heart rate easily break 200+, but his resting heart rate was terrifyingly low—under 40, at only 38 beats per minute.

Fortunately, while Huang Chong's leg power was still far inferior to that of a world-class rider like him, the supplementary medicines awarded by the system were frantically raising his physiological potential.

And those improvements were permanent optimizations, not one-time boosts.

"I wonder what other insane medicines the system will come up with. If it keeps optimizing me like this, I feel like my physical talent will become the best in the world before I even become a professional rider!"

Feeling his vigorous, powerful heart, his increasingly lean body, and his strong, firm thighs, Huang Chong could clearly sense just how terrifyingly strong he had become.

In particular, with the sustained effects of the Fat-Burning Muscle-Preserving Pill, his weight had successfully dropped to 65 kg, officially entering the third stage.

Yet as his weight fell, his FTP power had not declined in the slightest.

Instead, boosted by the Basic Optimization Points he earned through continuously completing bike handling skills, along with natural gains from daily training, it had risen from 224 W to 242 W.

Thus, as of today, his power-to-weight ratio had reached 3.72, a level that experienced amateur cyclists normally needed years of training to achieve.

At that power-to-weight ratio, as long as there was no headwind, crosswind, rain, snow, or other harsh weather, he could even cruise on flat roads at an average speed of around 40 km/h.

For comparison, Du Wei had initially been slightly stronger than him. But if they went out for another contest now, Du Wei would be completely dropped the moment they started.

"Fuck, Pog's overall title is gone. Completely gone this time. Congratulations to Vingegaard for locking up the yellow jersey early!"

Tour de France, Stage 18.

Exactly as in the historical timeline, with the help of his elite lieutenant Wout van Aert breaking away early, Vingegaard once again opened up more than a minute over the crash-stricken Pogačar in the final phase. His overall advantage expanded to three and a half minutes, completely securing the Tour de France title.

Although Du Wei said he was congratulating Vingegaard to show his magnanimity, the look he gave Huang Chong beside him was filled with resentment.

He truly had not expected his friend to predict the Tour de France ending in advance—and that every bit of his earlier analysis would prove accurate.

The more he thought about it, the more terrifying Huang Chong's understanding of racing seemed.

"Old Huang, I'm starting to believe you can really go down the professional rider path.

Putting everything else aside, just your determination to lose weight has earned my respect!

How much do you weigh now? Sixty-five kilos?

But something's off about how your body has changed.

You've slimmed down everywhere, but how did your thighs and lower abs naturally develop muscles? They're hard as iron!

Haven't you just been practicing mountain bike handling techniques lately?

I haven't seen you hit the gym to lift weights, or do any ab-specific training like sit-ups or planks!"

After saying that, Du Wei even reached out and squeezed Huang Chong's thigh.

It was rock-hard!

Huang Chong slapped away the bastard hand that was groping him all over and answered coldly, "You think mountain bike handling techniques only rely on your hands and feet?

Do you know that lifting a wheel actually requires the rider's entire upper-body strength and a powerful core?

Let me tell you, Old Du. Mountain downhill racing naturally places more importance on upper-body strength, which is why those mountain bikers are built like bulls.

That sport is all steep descents, so you barely pedal the whole way.

But when mountain bikes are flying through the air and rapidly cornering, drifting, and kicking out their tails through fields of rocks, do you think you can pull that off without upper-body strength to support you?"

Du Wei knew absolutely nothing about mountain bikes, but he could tell Huang Chong was not making it up.

So he could only look at his friend as though he were a monster, curl his lips, and say, "Fine, fine, you know everything. You're the best.

Then this Sunday, Zhou Ming invited us to ride at Qiandao Lake. You'll be my dedicated lieutenant, and I'll see whether you're really as good as you claim.

Don't be all talk and no legs.

Otherwise, if we lose to Zhou Ming, neither of us will ever be able to hold our heads up in front of him again. He'll treat us like a joke!"

Huang Chong was extremely confident in his own abilities. At his current level, he should rank among the best in the Headwind Cycling Team. Could he really lose to some kidney-deficient young master who spent all day on women's bellies?

Who was Du Wei looking down on?

He immediately replied domineeringly, "If I lose to that embroidered pillow, I won't eat for the next month—I'll eat your 100-inch TV screen instead!"