If Bora couldn't, or wouldn't, offer him a commensurate return, then there was no way in hell he would commit to a long-term future with the team.
He was a Professional Cyclist, not a volunteer. He wasn't about to work for free!
His current rookie contract was a perfect example. While he earned bonus prize money for every stage win and overall victory on top of his base salary, those earnings were nothing compared to what he was worth.
Given his current fame and achievements, Bora was making an absolute killing off him commercially, raking in profits many times over. He didn't owe the team a thing.
A commercial team was a business. The relationship between a rider and the team was supposed to be a win-win partnership of equals. There was no room for sentimental nonsense like being a "one-team man"—that was all bullshit.
Having followed the NBA and the World Tour for years, Huang Chong knew this like the back of his hand.
