SWNOVELXO Chapter 682: The Battle of the Gods, ITT Individual Time Trial (Subscription Request)
Chapter 682: The Battle of the Gods, ITT Individual Time Trial (Subscription Request)
"We saw that shortly after the start of the race, Valverde, the main player of Movistar, had an accidental crash. I hope he is okay and can return to the game as soon as possible."
“There are already some riders ahead, but all the teams reacted very quickly today and started to catch the rabbit right away. This may be because the first climb is at 44 kilometers, which is too close. If the rabbit is allowed to run away for more than 5 minutes, they may really be able to catch it.”
“Yes, because tomorrow is an off day, many riders are ready to strive for a good result today. In addition, the last 30 kilometers today are downhill, so they won’t waste too much energy. Riders mainly limit their speed when going downhill.”
"Yes, everyone may be curious whether the riders sleep a lot on their rest days. In fact, no, they will do some low-intensity training to maintain their physical condition. Of course, this is low intensity for us, but riding for three hours in a row is still a bit tiring."
Elia Favalli and Cimolay came over to say hello.
The two men are drivers of the Italian Lambo.
Sagan seemed very relaxed. When the rabbit was caught just now, he greeted Huang Kevin with a smile.
Jon Izaguirre and Mikel Nievi came over and said, “Just now I heard from the sidelines that Mobile Star wanted to capture your deputy general.”
Two were Basques.
Basque and they can't even piss in the same pot.
This time, they are the decisive team in the battle between Mobile Star and Katyusha.
Huang Kevin smiled and nodded to express his gratitude.
It's so boring to arrest a deputy general.
Today, King Huang gave them a chance to catch the main player.
He simply turned his head and whispered, "You and Joaquin and the others can go first, and just leave two people for me."
"You don't want the overall score?"
Nibali asked with his eyes wide open.
“If it doesn’t affect the team’s results, I shouldn’t fall too far behind. I will definitely be able to expand my advantage in the flat roads and ITTs.”
Huang Kevin said.
The ITT individual time trial is a competition in which the players start the race and their scores are calculated by themselves. Although the distance is short, it requires a very high level of strength from the players.
Without a deputy general to help you break the wind, some main generals who are only good at sprinting will immediately fall behind.
Nibali nodded.
After all, what Kevin Huang said makes sense.
If Huang Kaiwen had not stayed, the continuous fighting at the four climbing points and the mid-course sprint point today would have affected the team timing.
Sagan listened for a while and said with a smile: "You can join us later. I will fight for the sprint point at 77 kilometers."
"You can join us, too."
Said Cunigo, Rambo's main player.
"thank you all."
Huang Kaiwen said sincerely.
It is true that good deeds bring many supporters. Drivers from other teams are vying to give the Yellow Ball King a ride.
The people are in favor of the team. What can the Mobile Stars do to compete with the Yellow Ball King?
In the first section, Kevin Huang didn't even rush forward, but the good news was that Moreno took first place. He served as Rodriguez's deputy general and had a fight with Vandenbroeck of Lotto. He simply burst out and rushed out first.
"That Cavendish fellow didn't move at all."
Sagan turned around and said.
The two are old rivals.
Cavendish nodded to Kevin Huang and rolled his eyes at Sagan.
The two men have won and lost against each other, but Sagan has a strong desire to perform and often makes various eye-catching moves.
This made Cavendish feel like he lost a lot every time he lost, and he felt very unhappy.
The sprint at 77 kilometers was not as intense as expected.
The real competition took place at the third Category 1 climbing point. Not only did Mobile Star come to the rescue, but Clark from Green Blade also launched an attack on this climbing point.
The slope of this climbing point has exceeded 8%, which has a great impact on the competition for yellow cedar.
Team Sky took the lead in the attack.
It seems that they are determined to help Froome get a good enough result on the mountain roads.
Now Froome has made up some time.
Christopher immediately wanted to go out and chase Pete Kenoff.
"Alexander, come back."
Kevin Huang shouted, "We're keeping our eyes on Frome."
Sagan turned around at this time and said, "You two follow us."
Kevin Huang and Christopher continued to follow Cannondale. Just when their large group was passing a short downhill slope, something strange happened.
This is a winding mountain road, with the left side being low and the right side being a mountain.
When the large group was passing this section of road, a crazy fan rushed down from above on a mountain bike and flew over the heads of the large group.
"Wow, this spectator is really trying hard to show his face. The slope below shouldn't be too steep. He should have observed it in advance and waited here."
"Yes, there are often such spectators during major tournaments, such as the familiar Jimmy Boom, a Spanish shovel salesman. In the 2004 European Cup final, he rushed into the Estadio da Luz with the Barcelona flag, jumped directly into the swimming pool in the Athens Olympics, and before the start of the South Africa World Cup final, he tried to rush to the World Cup trophy and put a red cap on it, but was knocked down by security guards."
"Yes, Jimmy Bung is very active, not just at football matches, but fans should be more calm when watching the games and not have a negative impact on the game."
[Lost indefinitely].
"There are few foreigners in the series. Even if you saw in advance that it is not that steep, it is still dangerous to jump from one mountain road to another."
"Needless to say, I even suspect that this guy died on the spot."
"Haha, he observed for several days in advance, and kept hiding in the bushes, just waiting for this moment. He is really determined."
"Of course. I think the guy just now was Garen. If he wasn't from Demacia, he wouldn't be so skilled at hiding in the bushes. He just happened to rush out when Huang Kevin passed by."
"This guy scared me. I didn't understand what was going on."
This was just a small episode in the game.
In the competition on this slope, Huang Kaiwen failed to get to the front.
But Froome, who crossed the line first, gave up his attack shortly after flying downhill solo.
There are still dozens of kilometers to the finish line, and it is impossible for the Sky Team leader to fly solo all the time.
At Abizongolok, 138 kilometers away, Huang Kaiwen reunited with his teammates.
This is when the battle for the stage championship really begins.
"Fortunately, we got a lot of points for climbing, so our time won't be too bad next time."
Moreno said excitedly.
He was almost exhausted again. His task at this time was to complete the last 22 kilometers before the closing time. He really couldn't climb the first-level slope of Abizon Rock.
Although I am not always a deputy general, the consumption during climbing is really not small.
After just a brief encounter, Moreno chose to follow the car from behind.
Otherwise, being with teammates will slow down the overall speed of the team.
"We have reached the final climbing stage. The next section of the road is not easy to walk. First, we have to climb 2000 meters above sea level, then there is a big downhill, and finally a short climb to the end. It would be easy if you just kept climbing."
"Yes, hehe, because sometimes the drivers have used up all their energy, but they can hold on by gritting their teeth. You relaxed on the downhill and couldn't hold your breath, and then on the uphill, many people would definitely fall behind."
"Today's competition has been divided into several parts. Huang Kaiwen and his team are in the lead, and behind them are some deputy generals. These deputy generals consume a lot of energy and will soon be swallowed up by the chasing group. If they can't keep up with the chasing group, they will easily miss the closing time."
"De Gent started to exert his strength. We saw that many teams chose to attack. Huang Kaiwen still led his teammates. His team awareness is really good."
"Yes, Katusha still has a 2:30 lead over Movistar, but Valverde had a problem today, so the lead is expected to expand. Huang Kaiwen is converting his personal advantage into a team advantage. He can only lead by that much, but if his teammates catch up, it will be three people's time."
By now in the race, Nibali had been completely convinced.
Huang Kaiwen often led them arbitrarily, and he had never seen such a commander before.
But it was precisely because Huang Kevin helped them retain enough physical strength that Katyusha was able to take the lead in the overall score.
Some teams compete for the team time championship, and the team owner will give some help to other players.
Regardless of whether those main players have done as well as Huang Kevin, the results alone prove that everything Huang Kevin does is right.
Such a waste of energy has not affected his personal performance.
Dan Martin of Garmin USA couldn't hold back any longer and stood up and rode his bike to attack again.
Fuglsang was the second to follow.
"Go ahead, Kevin!"
Nibali said.
"It's okay, it doesn't matter if I give up a climbing point, I can just sprint later."
Huang Kevin said.
Now only Nibali and Rodriguez are left, so Huang Kaiwen decided to help his teammates save some energy.
Even though Frome rushed out, Huang Kevin was not in a hurry.
It was only at the final stage of climbing that Huang Kaiwen broke out.
Dan Martin stopped immediately after crossing the line.
He had no chance of getting the polka dot shirt, so it was obvious that he was just trying to prove himself.
The Yellow Ball King has no grudge against him, so he wouldn't always hold all the chances to cross the finish line.
Roland of European Auto launched the attack, and there were not many lieutenants left at this stage.
Although Rodriguez and Nibali were in the same breakaway group as Huang Kevin, at that time everyone was walking along the mountain road and there was no way to establish more contact.
As the race progresses, the runners will stick to the mountain roads rather than the low ground.
Because of excessive physical energy consumption, you might fall off the bike.
Even if there are guardrails at low places, it is easy to fall down the mountain. A height of several meters is very dangerous if you are caught off guard and have consumed too much energy.
Roland began to speed up.
Huang Kevin quickly rode his bike to catch up.
There are too many people in the leading group, so we are preparing to screen them out.
What Huang Kaiwen didn't expect was that Roland accelerated faster than he thought. Even though they were a few meters apart, Huang Kaiwen could feel the French driver's desire for the stage championship.
But Kevin Huang felt that he was overthinking it.
He couldn't get away from the opponent even if he pulled so hard. Even if the Yellow Ball King didn't overtake him, Froome behind him wouldn't let him off.
Seeing the turn ahead, Huang Kaiwen decided to start overtaking from here.
However, Roland didn't make it to the turn and slowed down to the side.
Excessive physical energy consumption.
I wanted to grit my teeth and persevere, but I couldn't.
"There are still 700 meters to the finish line. To be honest, Kevin Huang's position is not very good."
"Yes, Kevin Huang is now in charge of the lead, and the other riders are following behind. This will greatly consume Kevin Huang's physical energy and give the other riders more opportunities."
"Some spectators may ask why you don't slow down and leave the leading position. If you slow down at this time, the leading group will speed up at the same time, leaving you no chance to move to the back of the group."
"Yes, let's see if there is any chance. Huang Kevin probably didn't expect Roland to suddenly fall behind, but Huang Kevin didn't mean to attack."
“I think Huang Kaiwen has used up a lot of energy today. He led his teammates in the last section and now he doesn’t have that much energy left.”
With 150 meters to the finish line, Froome suddenly overtook Huang Kevin from the side. After looking back and seeing Huang Kevin, he chose to accelerate frantically.
Huang Kevin, who originally wanted to take back his position, suddenly changed his mind.
Just behind Frome.
The speed of the two drivers was obviously higher than that of the other drivers, and Froome directly turned the leading group into a one-on-one duel between him and Kevin Huang.
Frohme, who was determined to get the yellow fir, did not dare to save his energy at all. Even though the several mountain roads today had consumed a lot of his energy, he still gritted his teeth and persisted, hoping to beat Huang Kevin.
As long as Huang Kevin couldn't keep up, he could try to regain some advantages.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get rid of Kevin Huang. Dan Martin from European Cars disappeared for a while and then followed Kevin Huang.
Oh shit!
Frome is going crazy!
When he returns today, he plans to severely scold those analysts.
Damn, he had heard for several days that Huang Kaiwen was physically exhausted.
It's been almost a week, and he's been working like crazy to catch up with the results. After just a few competition days, he's already consumed a lot of energy.
But even though his physical strength was about to collapse, Huang Kevin was still standing.
He wanted to grab those analysts by the collar and ask them, when will Huang Kevin collapse?
Continuing to pedal hard now is his last act of stubbornness.
Another bend.
The three of them exerted their strength almost at the same time.
But it was visibly that Frome was not in good shape and did not have enough explosive power.
He had already used up the last of his energy in order to leave his competitors behind.
What Huang Kaiwen didn't expect was that Dan Martin, who had never been very outstanding, was actually so powerful.
It seems that this is also a way to hide himself in order to make efforts in the second half.
Dan Martin's outburst this time was very sudden, even more violent than before.
He almost overtook Froome right after Kevin Huang.
But Kevin Huang is not worried.
Enter the corner!
Huang Kaiwen chose to enter the corner directly on the inside, and just by entering the corner, he left Dan Martin five meters behind. Huang Kaiwen did not give his opponent any more chances, and he pushed hard with both feet to be the first to cross the small uphill finish line.
After crossing the line, Kevin Huang pulled up the yellow shirt on his body to show it off.
After so many days of competition, the yellow mountain is still on the yellow ball king.
"Saint Kevin!"
"Saint Kevin!"
"Saint Kevin!"
The spectators on both sides of the road cheered wildly.
The cameraman wanted to put the camera into Kevin Huang's face.
Airborne Katusha and suddenly participated in the Tour de France.
He showed absolute strength from the very beginning.
While many team riders want to appear in front of Huang Kaiwen, Huang Kaiwen is the rider who has endured the most attacks so far in this Tour de France.
The number of attacks he has received has even exceeded the number of attacks that other big-name riders have endured during the entire Tour de France.
Under such difficult circumstances, Kevin Huang still firmly maintains various honors.
Whether it was Green Blade who exerted force from the beginning, or Sky who was now preparing to grab the result, they all became the souls under Huang Kaiwen's knife.
It is performances like this that make this Tour de France far more exciting than any previous one.
Huang Kevin pulled so many people away, making them unable to make it to the closing time, which made this competition much more cruel than ever before.
Although the race is not even halfway completed, many people have already declared that this will be the greatest race in the 110-year history of the Tour de France.
boom--
The reporters swarmed over again.
Huang Kevin waved his hand weakly and followed the team staff back to the team car.
Froome, who was the third to cross the line, was obviously very angry. As soon as he crossed the line, he pushed away the team staff who came over, lifted his car and threw it to the ground.
If nothing unexpected happens, he may snatch a front page from Kevin Huang tomorrow, which is also a victory in a sense.
The French don't care if you grew up in South Africa.
Since it is a British nationality, it can be used to mock the British for their lack of manners.
Whether it was the female assistant or the masseur on the bus, they were all genuinely happy for Kevin Huang.
Nine race days, nine stage champions.
Huang Kaiwen's championship declaration of giving each rider a lion doll was only one stage win away from being fulfilled, because after Vincenzo Nibali joined the team, the team only had ten people.
In the history of road racing, there are indeed some athletes who can win the individual time trial championship in their first Grand Tour, but it is unique for someone like Kevin Huang to perform so strongly while facing so many difficulties.
If Kevin Huang stayed in Katusha, he would definitely be the most popular driver in the world.
"Kevin, have a drink first."
The female assistant handed over the kettle and said.
Huang Kevin took it and put it directly into his mouth.
Coke is still quite popular during the competition. After all, it can replenish sugar very well and change the taste. The amount of water and electrolyte drinks consumed in one stage is about 4 liters.
As long as you don't drink too much, you won't be affected by the bubbles.
After a brief celebration in the evening, everyone returned to their RV.
An off day is a chance for every driver to do something they want to do besides training time, which is very valuable, especially during such an intense competition.
Huang Kaiwen rarely saw the elusive Inzaghi.
Inzaghi's condition is much better than when he was in Brazil. This guy took Huang Kevin and Lily out for dinner.
However, there were no good restaurants in the mountain town, which made Jiujiu not very satisfied.
"You know, I think there's something wrong with Brazilians."
Inzaghi said with great joy: "After coming to France, I am very popular again. Now my biggest worry is how to reject some girls without hurting their feelings."
"You can say your name is Martini, but you are married."
Kevin Huang put down the pie in his hand and said.
Anyway, this guy will definitely not leave his name behind when he does bad things.
Inzaghi smiled and said nothing, he knew that what he did was not right.
Seeing him pick up a piece of blue cheese, Kevin Huang and Lily both showed disgusted expressions.
This thing smells musty when it is served.
It is said that it smells bad but tastes good, and the strong taste of this cheese is second only to the maggot cheese from Sardinia, Italy.
It is said that if the maggots are not moving they cannot be eaten because they have produced toxins.
"You guys try it too."
Inzaghi encouraged.
"no thank you!"
Lily subconsciously moved away and said.
Even as a British person, she couldn't accept such food.
If she had to choose, she would rather eat the stargazing pie.
But other than the cheese, everything else was pretty good.
The origin of French black truffles is the Pyrenees. They are very expensive, but the taste is just average, a little bitter and with some garlic flavor, and the taste is similar to mushrooms.
Anyway, Kevin Huang would never spend his own money to eat this kind of food, because he really can't tell that the ingredients are so expensive.
In the evening, several people took a bath in the hot spring in the town before parting.
"Isn't Filippo lonely?"
Lily asked curiously.
"He looks for girls just because he's lonely. His purpose is different from when he was young." Huang Kevin shook his head.
I guess chatting with girls now interests Inzaghi more than those things.
When you get older, you won’t be affected by hormones all the time.
In the evening, Kevin Huang and Lily watched the movie "Moonrise Kingdom" together before going to bed.
Although there was a break the next day, Huang Kaiwen still spent more time on physical recovery and training.
The French have not forgotten Froome either.
L'Equipe wrote: "Our big star wanted to gain enough lead in the mountain road stage, but in fact he didn't even win a stage championship. The famous British player crashed after the game, which made his bad temper fully manifest. The poor mechanic had to be busy again after the game, but this is the nature of the British. They are only more gentlemanly on the surface."
In the flat road stage on July 7, Huang Kaiwen still firmly held on to his personal advantage.
One day later, we finally arrived at ITT.
Individual Time Trial is an individual time trial.
The race started at 10:28am, with 158 drivers starting at a rate of one driver every two minutes, and the remaining drivers starting at a rate of one driver every three minutes.
Huang Shan's owner Kevin Huang was the last to leave.
At 5:08 pm, it was finally Kevin Huang's turn.
This competition is entirely a test of personal cycling speed, and time trial masters will gain enough advantages.
“We all know the results of the people in front. Froome is about to reach the finish line, but Kevin Huang is really fast. Behind him is the team car, ready to change cars at any time. We can see that the team car is full of top cars. The fans must be very excited to see it.”
"Yes, but the mechanics will adjust it in advance. ITT rarely has mechanical failures. Huang Kaiwen also passed 9.5 kilometers in 10 minutes. Today's time trial is 33 kilometers long. The end point is Mont Saint-Michel. The road is relatively flat... At the 22-kilometer timing point, Huang Kaiwen was 23 minutes and 12 seconds, surpassing Froome by 1 minute and 28 seconds. This speed is really amazing!!!"
I'm not feeling well, so I'll write less today.
(End of this chapter)