Arkéa Team, Israel-Premier Tech Professional Team, Bora Team, and Alpecin Team.
To extend their lead ahead of the peloton, the four-man breakaway had to be hitting speeds of at least 55-60 km/h.
This was a real eye-opener for Huang Chong.
'The top tier is on another level; even their most casual moves are beyond what a Professional Team can match.'
He recalled how at the Tour of Qinghai Lake, the European teams only hit these speeds during the final sprint in the last few kilometers.
But here, World Tour Team riders were hitting 60 km/h for a breakaway right at the start of the race.
It was, without a doubt, a demonstration of absolute dominance in both level and strength.
Coach Han and Chen Junyi were in the National Team support car, driving alongside Huang Chong and his four teammates. Chen Junyi's voice came over the radio:
"Coach Han says not to make any rash moves on the first day. Just stick with your teammates and sit in the back of the peloton to draft.
