As the Vuelta a España announced the news of withdrawals from the Red Bull Bora Team, the directors of the other teams undoubtedly learned of their situation and began contacting their lead riders over the radio.
This was especially true for the Decathlon and Movistar teams, whose riders were in the top three of the general classification. Their directors contacted O'Connor and Mas, respectively, to ask about Huang Chong's current condition.
If they spotted anything unusual with the man in the Red Jersey, they would surely have their leaders try to attack, hoping to find an opportunity for a dramatic upset.
However, whether it was O'Connor or Mas, after receiving their teams' orders, they could only feel a sense of powerlessness as they watched Huang Chong. He was pushing steadily up the First Category Climb in the main group, his cadence and upper body core as stable as ever.
Huang Chong's rock-steady riding rhythm was definitely not a sign of food poisoning.
