Kristoff the strongest in bunch sprint at CRO Race, seventh victory of the year for the powerful Norwegian

The first stage of the Croatian stage race was 162.5 kilometers long, starting in Vodice and finishing in Sinj. Along the way, the riders faced one significant climb. The ascent to Tesije was seventeen kilometers long and the only serious obstacle for the fast men in the Croatian race. A breakaway group of five riders formed, including Dutchman Axel van der Tuuk. He was joined by Spaniards Jokin Murguialday and Francisco Munoz, Brit Cyrus Monk and Czech Filip Reha. Together, they built up a lead of almost eight minutes.

Midway through the climb, during a short descent, there was an unusual crash in the breakaway group. Munoz slipped, leaving only Monk and Van der Tuuk to continue. The three previously crashed riders slowly rejoined, while the peloton increased their pace on the climb. As a result, the gap quickly halved to four minutes with 55 kilometers to go, diminishing the breakaway’s chances in the beautiful Croatian landscape.

Notably, dsm-firmenich PostNL contributed to the chase, with Tour de France hero Frank van den Broek leading for a long time, working hard for sprinters Tobias Lund Andresen and Pavel Bittner. The gap continued to shrink during the descent. The breakaway entered the final flat section with around a minute and a half lead. However, Van der Broek also crashed during the pursuit but was able to continue.

In the final 25 kilometers, the stage unfolded in a classic manner. The peloton calculated their moves and took no risks, catching the last attackers with fourteen kilometers to go. On winding roads, the peloton headed for a mass sprint in Sinj.

INEOS Grenadiers, Uno-X Mobility and Bahrain Victorious had been well-positioned at the front for quite some time, as was Israel-Premier Tech. Elia Viviani was expertly led out by his teammates, but Kristoff capitalized on the opportunity. While the Italian went to the right, the Norwegian chose the left. Kristoff’s acceleration was far more powerful, and he pulled away to secure victory. Bruttomesso, thanks to excellent team support, took second place, while Lonardi finished third.