"Stupid, that was utterly stupid!!
Why did Nis have to respond to Huang Chong's attack?
His move is simply incomprehensible!!"
In the Trek team car, the team leader watched his star rider fall behind. He didn't broadcast his frustrations over the radio to the struggling cyclist; instead, he just vented to his colleagues on the coaching staff.
"Damn it, Nis seems to have completely blown up. But he's still a full two kilometers from the finish. At this rate, he'll be swallowed up by the peloton, and he probably won't even be able to hold on to second place—"
The team's Mechanician chimed in with a bitter smile, his face a mask of despair.
The coaching staff had no control over such an aggressive choice—one that led to an early collapse from overestimating his own strength. That was a judgment call only the rider could make.
But without a doubt, Thibaut Nis had been far too confident.
