Chapter 327 - 206 Tour de France (3) Is He Really a Genius?
Most riders actually didn’t feel much about Li Ang’s breakaway lead and didn’t think that such a lead could be maintained for long.
There are generally a few reasons why riders break away early in a stage. The first is for advertising purposes. Teams with weaker abilities often need to break away early to attract attention and advertise, which was what most competitors believed was Li Ang’s intention.
The second reason is to score sprint or climbing points. In a flat or mountain stage, points are awarded based on ranking for sprints and climbs, including intermediate sprint and climb points. Riders often compete for the green sprinter’s jersey or the polka dot climber’s jersey.
Such riders usually set their race strategy from the start, aiming to win these awards.
The third type, and the strongest, are those who possess exceptional individual time-trial abilities, allowing them to break away and win from a great distance.
However, as the overall level of competition has risen, the number of riders capable of leading the pack has become increasingly rare.
But only the few riders who had participated in the Tour of California with Li Ang understood that he was this rare third type. Once he got ahead of you, you wouldn’t have the chance to catch up with him for the rest of the race.
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Faced with an uphill climb that most would dread, Li Ang instead showed an excited expression.
For his current physical condition, riding on flat terrain hardly allowed him to experience the joy of performing at his full capacity, as things like vehicle performance, road conditions, and maximum bike speed all limited him.