Fill in the blank (_) in the following sentence from the following choices.
Sentence: He rode the bicycle up the hill but gave up when he got to the road, as the _ was just much easier to ride on.

Choice 1: He rode the bicycle up the hill but gave up when he got to the road, as the hill was just much easier to ride on.
Choice 2: He rode the bicycle up the hill but gave up when he got to the road, as the road was just much easier to ride on.
Which of the choices is correct? Respond with only "1" or "2" and no additional text.
1
2.