The moment the spokes cut through the morning fog, Wu Hao always felt that the rear wheel was pursuing some non-existent trajectory. As the most promising rising star of the provincial team, his carbon fiber frame was still stained with salt grains from last season's Tour of the Island, but his knuckles began to tremble inexplicably after a certain training session – that was the sound of gravel rolled up by the rear wheel splashing on the protective gear when Chen Xia, known as the "hill climbing monster", passed by him.
This girl who always wears worn goggles is like an unpredictable crosswind. When she suddenly exerts force on the stage of 3,000 meters above sea level, the pendant on the handlebar will draw a silver arc. Wu Hao once overheard her rehabilitation plan in the team doctor's room. Those terms about tendinitis were like a chain stuck in the flywheel, causing him to suddenly lose strength before the finish line of the time trial.
When the rain in the Tour of Taihu Lake blurred all reference points, their frames sparked in the corners. Chen Xia's brake pads smelled burnt, but Wu Hao saw a sports watch of the same style as his own that was scratched by the chain on her wrist that was exposed when she was changing gears. The energy gel package at the supply station tumbled in the wind and finally stopped between the wheels of two people parked side by side - one was engraved with "Breaking Wind" and the other was engraved with "Chasing Light".
During this ride across seven provinces, they were not only counting seconds on the timing screen, but also sharing the shadow of a water bottle. When the lights of the snow-capped mountain tunnel stretched the shadows of the two people into long parallel lines, Wu Hao finally understood: the most touching thing about a road car is not the moment when you cross the line, but someone working with you to crush the lonely wheel marks into a star track leading to the finish line.
