Cycling: Racing into the Headwind

When Zhang Yi heard Huang Chong comparing himself to him, he didn’t think the latter was overestimating his abilities.

The skill gap between a professional and an amateur was vast, but considering Huang Chong’s recent performance, Zhang Yi couldn’t help but recall what Wang Qiang had said when he first recommended him for the team.

He smiled and asked Huang Chong,

"Last night, Wang Qiang told me you’ve only been cycling for less than a year. He said you’ve never had any professional training and usually just ride for fun with friends. Is that right?"

Hearing the question, Huang Chong knew Zhang Yi was trying to learn more about his background.

After all, joining any team, even an amateur one, required a basic background check. So, he nodded and said,

"Yes, Captain Zhang. I was a total amateur before.

I worked as a mechanic in a bike shop, so I know a lot about bike frames, but I was clueless about how cyclists properly train or how to improve my riding skills more effectively.

Thanks to Brother Wang and the others’ guidance these past few days, I’ve been studying a lot of theory online. I discovered that much of my old riding style was just ineffective riding.

Brother Wang and the others probably thought I was too unprofessional, which is why they recommended I join your team, Captain!"

"So, everything Wang Qiang said was true. He didn’t exaggerate or downplay your abilities or your cycling history at all!"

Zhang Yi nodded and began to praise him.

"But the climbing talent you showed today is far more impressive than Wang Qiang let on.

Especially since your weight is a significant handicap for a climber.

Yet you not only stuck with me the entire way up the Taizi Peak climb, but based on my bike computer’s data, your average power for the ascent was at least 200W.

And on that steepest, longest section at a 12% grade, my normalized power was reading 250W for a full two and a half minutes, yet you were still right on my wheel, riding out of the saddle.

Honestly, from what I saw on the climb today, your natural climbing talent, your endurance, and your recovery are all even stronger than riders like Wang Qiang, who’ve been training for two or three years!"

Huang Chong was quite surprised to hear Zhang Yi use data from his bike computer to pinpoint, in just a few sentences, the specific differences between his performance and that of Wang Qiang and the others. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

’This is the difference a former Professional Cyclist makes,’ he thought. ’His analysis of the riding data is so clear and incisive.’

In truth, his legs weren’t as strong as the captain suggested.

Admittedly, his power output on the climb was more or less what Zhang Yi had described. He had been staring at his own system’s bike computer the entire time, so he knew his average power over the final 10km was around 200W, and his maximum output during that out-of-the-saddle attack was 254W.

But the only reason he’d been able to do it was because he had eaten an Energy Bar at the foot of the mountain.

If he had been like Wang Qiang and the others, riding all the way from Lin’an District to Taizi Peak with only a little water and no energy supplements, there was no way he could have sustained such a terrifying power output for the final 10km after being worn down by the dozens of kilometers of rolling hills before it.

So, without the boost from the Energy Bar, there was still a small gap between his actual ability and that of Wang Qiang and the others.

It was just that after last night’s "optimization," that gap had narrowed considerably.

’Surpassing Wang Qiang and the others is now truly within reach.’

"Captain Zhang, I heard from Brother Wang and the others that you used to be a Professional Cyclist and even rode for the provincial team. I was wondering, what kind of Power-to-Weight Ratio does it take to become a professional?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yi didn’t assume that Huang Chong himself wanted to become a Professional Cyclist.

Although the young man’s climbing talent was indeed impressive, he was simply too old.

If Huang Chong were only sixteen—no, even if he were eighteen—and at his current level, Zhang Yi would have considered trying to develop him, to see if he could be trained to the entry-level of a Professional Cyclist.

But the guy had already graduated from college, meaning he was at least 22. It was impossible for him to train up to the level of a Professional Cyclist now.

A 22-year-old Professional Cyclist might be in his prime. After all, the white jersey for the Best Young Rider in the Tour de France can be worn by riders up to the age of 25.

But to just be starting out in cycling at 22 with aspirations of turning pro? That was definitely ancient for a rider.

Of course, Zhang Yi wasn’t about to crush the young man’s hopes and dreams with such a blunt assessment. He simply stated the basic requirements for a Professional Cyclist and said with a smile,

"There are several types of Road Cyclists, and each type has completely different requirements for their Power-to-Weight Ratio.

A Climber’s Power-to-Weight Ratio, for instance, is far less important for explosive power than a sprinter’s, but their endurance is much better. You can’t make a blanket judgment based on an average Power-to-Weight Ratio alone.

But generally speaking, even for professional teams here in China, a rider’s Power-to-Weight Ratio needs to be at least around 5.0. Otherwise, if you can’t even hang with the peloton on a flat stage, no pro team will sign you."

Huang Chong nodded. He now had a clear target in mind.

Of course, he wasn’t going to wait until his Power-to-Weight Ratio hit 5.0 before he started competing. The cycling scene in China was still dominated by amateurs, after all.

And proper professional races weren’t open to amateurs. Even events like the Tour of Qiandao Lake were split into mass-participation and elite categories.

The requirement for entering the elite category was an average speed of no less than 35 km/h.

At his current level, he just barely qualified to register. As for getting on the podium in the elite group, that was just a pipe dream.

So, his path was clear: he had to start with amateur races to get used to the competitive environment and pace. Then, he would work his way up, step by step, join a professional team, register as a Professional Cyclist with the UCI, and finally, compete against the world’s top riders in high-level events.

"I see. That’s a really high bar. A 5.0 Power-to-Weight Ratio... at my current weight, my average power would have to be at least 350W," Huang Chong remarked with a sigh.

"It is," Zhang Yi agreed. "Road cycling is a sport anyone can get into. It seems like all you need is a bike to become a cyclist. But to turn pro, you need the kind of athletic talent you see once in a million.

And in this country, we got into the sport far too late. We’re only just getting started, really. We don’t even have a proper youth development system.

I just hope a new generation of Chinese riders can emerge, someone who can follow in Ji Cheng’s footsteps and show the world what we can do in the Grand Tours!"

Huang Chong wasn’t surprised to hear such a lament and hope from Zhang Yi, who had been on the provincial team.

After all, someone like him knew better than anyone just how vast the gap was between China and the rest of the world in road cycling.

Forget about dominating the World Tour; road cycling itself is an official Olympic sport.

Yet China currently struggles just to qualify for the Olympic road race. Even when they do qualify, it’s a huge challenge for our riders to simply finish the race.

In short, the sport was a lot like the national soccer team—worlds apart from the international standard.

However, as a reincarnator, Huang Chong knew that in two years, a new Chinese rider would join Astana Team, one of the eighteen World Tour Teams.

So, after a moment’s thought, he offered Zhang Yi something of a spoiler:

"Our country will definitely have a new, outstanding rider join a World Tour Team. You can rest assured of that, Captain Zhang!"

Zhang Yi heard this but didn’t take it to heart. He simply assumed Huang Chong was offering polite, adult reassurances to comfort him.

He gave a polite nod in return and said, "Let’s hope so." Then he extended his hand to Huang Chong and welcomed him with sincerity.

"Huang Chong, welcome to the Windward Team!"