Zhang Guan looked back and found that other riders had already caught up.
Zhang Guan is not surprised by this result. Teamwork in the Tour de France can bring huge help to the riders. For example, in this fast ride in the second half of the race, other teams are led by the "Rabbit" rider. Cycling is far less labor-intensive than riding alone. In particular, the leaders of each team did not carry any weight along the way. All the supplies were on the bodies of their teammates, so the physical exertion was much less.
In the Tour de France, when a certain stop reaches the final stage, the team's main players will always be at the front because they have the most energy. At the same time, the main players will not be able to open a large distance. The first few people to cross the line may only be a few seconds behind.
A Tour de France race takes four to five hours, and the distance is more than 200 kilometers. Just imagine that it took four or five hours to ride more than 200 kilometers, but when you get to the finish line, the difference in results is only a few seconds. You can even see A large group of people gather together to sprint. This may be the only charm of the Tour de France.
Zhang Guan is fighting alone, so he will suffer a loss in the second half of the race and will be overtaken by other drivers. However, when the "rabbits" have given up their positions, everyone has become a lonely man, and it is time to rely on their ability to make a living. , Zhang Guan has no disadvantage.
…
Zhang Guan was right in front, within the sight of the leading group, but the dozen or so drivers in the leading group could no longer narrow the gap with Zhang Guan.
"Didn't you catch up smoothly just now? Why can't you catch up now!" Schreck of the Luxembourg Cheetah Racing Team frowned slightly.
"We have started sprinting with all our strength, but we have not narrowed the gap. It seems that the guy in front is also sprinting with all his strength!" Croden of the American Radio Racing Team looked ahead.
“It’s the last ten kilometers, now it’s time to see if we can hold on! The guy leading the Belgian Lotto must be exhausted! He is riding alone, so his physical exertion is greater than ours. More." Rogas of Spanish Mobile Star stared closely at Zhang Guan ahead, waiting for the moment he slowed down.
"It's about to enter the climbing stage. It's right there. I must pass it!" Evans was always holding his breath in his heart. He also knew very well that the last 2.2 kilometers would be his only chance.
The last 2.2 kilometers is the only climbing section of this stage.
This climbing section is located before the finish line, with a total distance of 2.2 kilometers and a gradient of 4.7%. This is a level four climbing section. According to the rules, riders will receive different climbing points for different levels of climbing sections. The person who earns the most points on the climb will receive the red and white spotted jersey, the symbol of the Tour de France's climb king.
Level 4 climbing sections are the lowest level of climbing sections and earn the fewest points, so they can only be considered better than nothing. But after 190 kilometers of fast riding, even the lowest grade all-season climbs are a burden for many riders. This short climb of 2.2 kilometers is likely to open a gap of more than 30 seconds.
The person who ranks high in the Tour de France must be a master of hill climbing. In the Tour de France, it is rare for a rider to win the yellow fir and the green jersey at the same time, but there are many cases where a rider wins the yellow fir and the spotted jersey at the same time. Some. The yellow cedar represents the first place in the overall score, and the spotted jersey represents the first place in the climbing points, but the two can often be achieved at the same time.
This also has a lot to do with the characteristics of cyclists. After all, cycling is a sport driven by human power. The more labor-saving the road section, the smaller the speed difference will be. When sprinting on flat ground for several kilometers, a good sprinter may get a lead of more than ten seconds; when climbing a hill for several kilometers, a good climber can get a lead of more than 1 minute. Under the circumstances, riders who are good at climbing will have better results.
Evans has won the runner-up in the Tour de France for two consecutive years. His climbing ability is not inferior to those who specialize in climbing points, and his seated climbing skills are also considered to be one of the best in road cycling. Very representative technology.
Before entering the uphill, Evans had already begun to exert force. His strong climbing ability was brought into play, and he overtook the opponents in front one after another and came to the front row of the leading team.
"Zhang Guan, wait for me!" Evans looked forward. At this time, Zhang Guan had already entered the uphill section.
…
"Who will be the winner of the first stage?"
"Maybe it's Contade! Contade is the defending champion and has won the Tour de France twice in a row!"
"Look, here we come! It's not Contard, it's a driver from the Belgian Lotto!"
"Whoosh!" Accompanied by the cheers and applause of the audience on both sides of the road, Zhang Guan flashed past.
In the final sprint, the riders will definitely try their best. Even on the uphill section, the speed will exceed 60 kilometers. At such a fast speed, the riders are wearing goggles, and the spectators on both sides of the road cannot see clearly the faces of the riders. . All they felt was that the driver had passed in front of their eyes in a flash, leaving behind a figure from behind. However, some people with sharp eyes had clearly seen the number behind the driver.
"No. 207! Driver No. 207 of the Belgian Lotto team, find out who that is!"
"Let me see, Belgian Lotto, No. 207, that's wrong. Did you read it wrong? My driver list here only goes up to No. 198. Where is the No. 207?"
"I'm not mistaken, it's really No. 207!"
"But there is no number 207 in the driver list announced by the race meeting!"
These spectators were only briefly confused for a few seconds. The leading group had already arrived here. People such as Evans, Rogas, Horner, Gilbert, etc. were also well-known drivers. There were many of them on both sides of the road. Fans, the surrounding area was quickly enveloped in shouts.
…
"I can't catch up, I really can't catch up!" Evans looked ahead, and now he has entered the climbing section, but the gap between him and Zhang Guan has not narrowed. Evans estimated that the gap is about About 15 seconds.
"The gap is 15 seconds, and there is only a little more than one kilometer left. It is impossible to catch up!" Evans' eyes flashed with a trace of despair. He knew that the moment Zhang Guan crossed the finish line, he would become the laughing stock of the entire professional cycling community.
"I'm so sorry! I'm not really short of the 100,000 euros. Why did I go to find trouble with Zhang Guan yesterday? I really had nothing to do! If I had known this outcome, I would never have spoken so arrogantly yesterday Now. This is great, I can’t even lift my head when I see Zhang Guan in this life!"
At this moment, Evans finally began to regret it. The pride in his heart had been completely destroyed by Zhang Guan. A professional cyclist who despised others with his awesomeness was completely blown away by him the next day. , and it is still in a competition of the level of the Tour de France. Even though Evans is thick-skinned, he still wants to find a hole in the ground to crawl into.
…
Other riders also had different ideas.
"Who is that guy from the Belgian Lotto team in front of me? He was climbing so fast that I couldn't catch up with him at all. It looks like he is the winner today! I didn't expect that he would jump out at the first stop. A dark horse!”
"It's not Vandenbroek or Gilbert. When did the Belgian Lotto have such a character? If time passes, he might become another Evans!"
"Dark horse! I didn't expect such a dark horse to appear in the first stage of this year's Tour de France! That person's number seems to be No. 207! Dark horse No. 207, I will remember you! As soon as you get back to the finish line, you must See who you really are."
"No. 207? Why is this number so awkward to say! No, there are only 198 participating drivers in total. Where did the number 207 come from? Where did this dark horse number 207 come from?"
————
The first chapter is delivered. Thank you all for your support. We will continue to explode today. There are still more than a hundred votes left to catch up with the leader. I sincerely ask everyone to vote for me. In the last thirty or so hours, we will sprint towards the second place!
(End of chapter)