Frenchman Paul Magnier from team Soudal Quick-Step has made history at the CRO Race by becoming the first rider to win three stages, having won the 150.5 kilometre-long third stage from Gospić to Rijeka. In a tense finish in the centre of Rijeka, Magnier crossed the line just a tyre length ahead of Brit Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers), with Israeli national champion Oded Kogut (Israel-Premier Tech) rounding out the podium in third. Team INEOS Grenadiers managed to take the lead in the last two kilometres and put their sprinter Turner in a good position, but Magnier managed to pip him to the line in the last few metres. After crossing the finish, neither the Frenchman nor the Brit were sure who had won; only after the photo finish did they see that it was Magnier who had taken the stage. “It was very close, but I managed to win again. I have to thank my teammates who dictated the tempo throughout the whole stage to put me in the best position for the sprint,” said Magnier.
This stage win has extended Magnier’s lead in the general classification even further to 20 seconds over second-placed Turner and 21 seconds over Frenchman Baptiste Poulard (Arkea-B&B Hotels) in third. However, he himself knows that it will be a tall order for him to keep the red jersey after the fourth stage from Krk to Labin—this year’s queen stage, including a climb up Učka mountain. “Tomorrow’s stage will be too hard for me, so I will try and help out my teammates who have been working for me these past few days,” Magnier added. In addition to the red GC leader’s jersey, Magnier also tops the points classification for the blue jersey, with Casper van der Woude (Metec-Solarwatt p/b Mantel) in the green jersey for best climber. After 10 kilometres, a group of five riders went off the front, forming what would be the day’s breakaway. This group, consisting of Frenchman Baptiste Poulard (Arkea-B&B Hotels), Briton Mark Stewart (Solution Tech-Vini Fantini), Czech Martin Voltr (ATT Investments), Dutchman Casper van der Woude (Metec-Solarwatt p/b Mantel), and Pole Patryk Stosz (Voster ATS), swept up all the day’s intermediate sprints and categorised climbs. Poulard was first across the line at all three intermediate sprints in Perušić, Otočac, and Novi Vindolski, earning him nine bonus seconds; Voltr won four bonus seconds with one second-place and two third-place sprints; Stosz took three seconds for one second-place and one third-place finish; and Stewart won two bonus seconds for his one second-place finish. Van der Woude dominated the categorised climbs, winning six points in the KOM classification for being the first over the top at Šašina and Bribir, putting him in the lead in the battle for the green jersey. Voltr came in second behind the Dutchman both times, earning him four points, while Stosz and Poulard took two points each for their third place finishes. Led by Soudal Quick-Step, the peloton kept the breakaway under control, never allowing the gap to grow past 2:45, and reeling them back in 11 kilometres before the finish at the climb to Škrljevo. The fourth, queen stage will be held on Friday, at a length of 190.5 kilometres from Krk to Labin.
Further information about CRO Race
This year’s edition of CRO Race will be held from 30 September to 5 October across nearly 1,000 kilometres throughout Croatia. The race will bring together riders from twenty teams from all three Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) categories: UCI WorldTeams, UCI ProTeams, and UCI Continental Teams. Viewers will be able to watch the race live on HRT and Eurosport, and it will be broadcast in 190 nations across the world. In addition to promoting the sport of cycling, CRO Race advertises Croatia as a beautiful tourist destination, bringing shots of Croatia’s wealth of cultural and natural heritage right into the homes of viewers across the world. Since its first edition, CRO Race has been supported by the highest government institutions in Croatia. This year, support comes from the Croatian government, the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, the Croatian Tourist Board, the city of Zagreb, and numerous other cities and counties hosting stage starts or finishes or through which the race will be passing. In addition to Hrvatska elektroprivreda electricity company as one of the main sponsors, the project includes numerous other sponsors and partners: Valamar Riviera, Škoda, Carwiz, Keindl Sport, Alé, Essperto, Elite, Vinistra, Bilić-Erić, Jadrolinija, Europlakat, Kraš, the Croatian Olympic Committee, the Croatian Cycling Union, Zagreb Holding, the Ministry of the Interior, and media an dproduction partners Croatian Radiotelevision, Hanza media, Sportske novosti, Amaury Sport Organisation, Croatel, NEP.
