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Kristoff the strongest in bunch sprint at CRO Race, seventh victory of the year for the powerful Norwegian
CyclingTuesday, 01 October 2024 at 11:22
Alexander Kristoff claimed victory in the first stage of the CRO Race. The Norwegian Uno-X Mobility rider proved the fastest in the bunch sprint in Sinj. Giovanni Lonardi (Polti Kometa) impressively took second place, with fellow Italian Alberto Bruttomesso (Bahrain Victorious) finishing third.
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.
Strange crash in the breakaway, peloton picks up the pace in pursuit
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.
Read more below the tweet.
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.
Results stage 1 CRO Race 2024
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
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Latest Comments
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024