After receiving Aldag's tactical instructions, Huang Chong silently stayed in the peloton, making no further moves and focusing entirely on conserving his energy.
Maintaining a steady, aerobic pace in a Grand Tour was equivalent to using the race as a training session. Although it meant he couldn't contend for the stage win, it wasn't without its benefits for a rider.
In fact, long-distance aerobic training was the most common type of training that professional Road Cyclists did.
Only by constantly racking up mileage could a rider best balance their body's energy levels.
So, Huang Chong let the breakaway riders battle it out amongst themselves up the road.
In the end, after Stage 12 concluded, the stage victory was unexpectedly claimed by Castrillo of the wildcard Professional Team: Kern Pharma Team.
For Huang Chong, winning today's stage wouldn't have actually offered much benefit.
It would have just been one more entry in his record of Grand Tour stage wins.
