NOVALJA, 2 October 2024 — Columbian Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates) has won the second stage of this year’s edition of CRO Race, which ran a 114.5km course from Biograd na Moru to Novalja.
In a bunch sprint, Molano won out over Italian Giovanni Lonardi (Polti Kometa)—who took second place for the second day in a row—and Australian Sam Welsford (Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe) in third. With six extra bonus seconds, Lonardi’s second place stage finish puts him in the lead in the general classification, two seconds ahead of Norwegian Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility) in second and six seconds ahead of Australian Cyrus Monk (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) in third. Lonardi also took the lead in the contest for the blue sprinter’s jersey; he now has 40 points, three more than Kristoff. Dutchman Axel Van der Tuuk (Metec-Solarwatt p/b Mantel) remains in the green climber’s jersey. The white jersey for best young rider remains on the back of Italian Alberto Bruttomesso (Bahrain Victorious).
Shortly after the start in Biograd na Moru, a group of five attacked off the front—Croat Nicolas Gojkovic, Dutchman Axel van der Tuuk (Metec-Solarwatt p/b Mantel), Slovenian Dan Andrej Tomšič (Adria Mobil), and Poles Piotr Pekala (Santic-Wibatech) and Maksymilian Radosz (Mazowsze Serce Polski). This five-man breakaway racked up a lead of 2:30 over the peloton; Gojković won the intermediate sprint in his home town of Zadar, followed by Van der Tuuk in second and Radosz in third. This initial breakaway did not last long, however, with the group catching up with roughly 70 kilometres to go, just before the climb at Jovići.
The climb saw another attack with Pole Pawel Bernas (Mazowsze Serce Polski), Czech Daniel Turek (ATT Investments), and German Kim Heiduk (INEOS Grenadiers) cooperating. First across the categorised climb was Bernas, followed by Heiduk and Turek. Although this trio was joined by Van der Tuuk and Dutchman Jelle Johannik (TDT-Unibet) during the descent, this second unsuccessful breakaway of the day was also reeled back in just 15 kilometres later. Polish team Mazowsze Serce Polski were particularly active during the second stage—they also had a representative in the third breakaway in the form of Jakub Kaczmarek, who jumped off the front at the crossing of the Pag bridge together with Dutchman Casper van der Woude (Metec-Solarwatt p/b Mantel).
This duo managed to cut 1:20 into the peloton, with Kaczmarek taking the bonus points at the second intermediate sprint in Pag in front of Van der Woude; the remaining bonus second would go to Englishman Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious). The Gradac categorised climb followed, with Van der Woude taking the KOM ahead of Kaczmarek; first from the peloton to cross the line was Van der Tuuk, who thus won himself an additional two points and extended his lead in the contest for the green climber’s jersey. Led by team INEOS Grenadiers, the peloton swallowed up the final breakaway 24 kilometres from the finish, and preparations for the final sprint began.
At the final intermediate sprint across the finish in Novalja, 4.5 kilometres before the finish, Czech Pavel Bittner (dsm-firmenich-POSTNL) took three bonus seconds, with two going to his teammate Dane Tobias Lund Andresen (dsm-firmenich-POSTNL) and one to last year’s GC winner Venezuelan Orluis Alberto Aular (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA).
At the start of the second stage, cyclists were greeted by Mr. Ivan Šimunić, head of the County Administrative Department for Education, Culture and Sport, who was present on behalf of the county head of Zadar County; with him were Ivana Staničar, president of the City Council, and Nives Jeličić, Director of the Biograd na Moru Tourist Board, in addition to other important guests of the destination partners.
Cyclists were greeted at the finish line by Ivan Dabo, mayor of Novalja, Marina Šćiran, director of the City of Pag Touristo Board, and other guests.
The third stage will be held on Thursday, 3 October, from Otočac to Opatija at a length of 130 kilometres.
