Brandon McNulty won the third stage in the 2024 CRO Race, and here's how: The stage was completed under unusual circumstances due to the hellish weather conditions, and we saw a monstrous attack by the American. He attacked early in the day, and no one saw him again. The weather conditions played a big role in the atypical ride. McNulty is also the new leader in the race.
The weather was not too good in Croatia. Rain and wind afflicted the Balkan country, so it was decided to shorten the stage. Ninety kilometers remained over hilly terrain. The climb at the beginning of the stage was canceled, and thus, a short afternoon awaited the riders. Giovanni Lonardi left in the leader's jersey.
Read more below the photo.
Top climber McNulty attacks early on, time trialist Ganna chases fiercely
It turned out to be a strange stage. The stage had no natural obstacles, and with the relatively short distance, there was no other way. Brandon McNulty unexpectedly went on the attack. The favorite for the GC, riding for UAE Team Emirates, had Kim Heiduk of INEOS Grenadiers with him. They took a one-minute gap and began a seemingly hopeless mission. Heiduk had to let go at some point; Filippo Ganna then started the chase from the peloton in service of Elia Viviani.
Because of the rain, it was necessary to pay attention. Pavel Bittner of dsm-firmenich PostNL fell on a descent, McNulty suffered a flat tire and barely managed to brake for a bike change. In the meantime, many guys were letting go due to the harsh weather conditions and Ganna's grueling pace. The American at the front, however, proved to be tough. He led alone towards the last steep and short climb of the day.
There, he maintained a strong position. The race leader, Giovanni Lonardi, could not keep up along the climb, as could many others. The small group behind McNulty now had to hurry. That didn't happen, however, because this was too small for real unified forces. Everything was split up, like in a junior race. McNulty was now sure of the leader's jersey: the time differences were determined ten kilometers from the finish. It didn't stop there. The UAE Team Emirates leader rode on stoically and took the stage win. Behind him, a small group, including Ganna, finished at an appropriate distance. Igor Arrieta completed the party on behalf of UAE by finishing second.
Results stage 3 CRO Race 2024
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
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