October 3, 2021 - Briton Stephen Williams, a member of the Bahrain Victorious team, is the winner of the 2021 CRO Race which ended on Sunday.
In the last, sixth stage on the roads of Zagreb County and the capital, from Samobor to Zagreb (157.5 kilometers), Williams took second place behind the Dutchman Tim van Dijke (Jumbo-Visma) and thus defended the leader's red shirt in the overall standings, which he took over with a stage victory in Opatija on Saturday, reports HRT.
Up to six kilometers before the finish, Williams could ride comfortably in the main group, but after entering the last lap in the center of Zagreb, Van Dijke and Norwegian Markus Hoelgaard, second and third in the overall standings, had attacked, so Williams had to react.
The leading trio in the overall standings took the first three positions in the last stage, and in the final sprint in front of the Croatian National Theater, Van Dijke was faster than Williams, while Hoelgaard finished third with five seconds ahead of the peloton led by Australian Kaden Groves (Team Bikeexchange).
Williams eventually reached the biggest victory of his career, having won only one weaker stage race in France so far (Ronde de l'Isard 2018), with a 13-second lead over second-placed Van Dijke and 17 seconds ahead of third-placed Hoelgaard.
Apart from the stage victory in Zagreb and the second place in the overall standings, Van Dijke is also the winner of the competition for the best young cyclists and won the white T-shirt.
The blue T-shirt intended for the best sprinter was worn by the Dutchman Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma), while the green T-shirt for the best climber was won by the British Simon Yates (Team Bikeexchange).
Bravo for another world-class cycling event!
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