Although he was the Tour of Australia champion, Huang Chong, who had also ridden it, knew perfectly well that both Willunga Hill and Lofty Mountain were far too short compared to the two towering giants on the UAE Tour.
Vine could power over short, steep climbs like those, but when faced with a long, steep ascent like Jeb Hafeet Mountain, it was doubtful he could maintain his high level of performance all the way to the end.
This was why the UAE Team's support squad for the Tour de France for the next two years would consist mainly of Adam Yates, Almeida, Sivakov, Soler, and Wellens, not Vine or McNulty.
And as Vine fell away, Huang Chong undoubtedly became the main target in the ever-shrinking group of climbers.
He could clearly feel that after Vine was dropped, riders from the Decathlon and Quick Step teams kept glancing over at him.
There was only one reason: he was now the best-placed rider in the general classification.
