Grégoire of the French Team responded immediately, marking him tightly.
The 800-meter attack on the short climb was over, but neither rider managed to break away.
However, on the very next climb, the Witikon, just as the peloton was about to hit the steepest section at a 20.7% gradient, an exhausted Novak fell back. But then, Roglič of the Slovenia Team suddenly shot to the front and began to increase the pace for Pogačar.
Huang Chong knew from his past life that Pogačar had attacked from this exact spot and that the peloton had never managed to catch him. So, naturally, he didn't want to just sit in the main group with the Belgium Team and the Dutch Team. He decisively latched on to them the very first chance he got.
At this point, there were still 101 kilometers left in the race.
A hundred-kilometer breakaway. It was something no one, aside from Pogačar himself, would even dare to imagine.
