With his team leader's approval, Huang Chong didn't hesitate. As soon as the race began, he followed the riders attempting a breakaway, launching repeated attacks and surges.
In the early stages of a race, the peloton always pays close attention to marking each team's key riders.
If they spotted a general classification rival in a breakaway, they would never let them get away. Instead, they would constantly accelerate, ramping up the pace of the entire peloton to give chase.
After Huang Chong's victory in the Queen Stage, he had clearly attracted the attention of several GC teams, such as UAE and the Quick Step Team.
At first, only five non-GC riders from the peloton had chosen to break away.
They were Stefan De Bod from the EF Education Team, Jacob Mosca from the Trek Team, Maurice Ballerstedt from the Alpecin Team, Franck Bonnamour from the AG2R Team, and Simon Geschke from the Cofidis Team.
