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!

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE.

September 29, 2021 - Dutchman Olav Kooij, a member of the Jumbo-Visma team, won the CRO Race 2nd stage from Slunj to Otočac (187 kilometers) and took the lead in the overall standings.

Kooij, who was second in the first stage on Tuesday in Varaždin, positioned himself much better before the final sprint, broke out at the head of the main group about 100 meters before the finish line and won over Israeli Itamar Einhorn (Israel Start-Up Nation) in 2nd and Australian Caden Groves (Team Bikeexchange) in 3rd, reports HRT.

"Today's stage was much more demanding than yesterday's, but it suited me. In the continuation of the race, even more demanding exams await us, but I am ready," said only 19-year-old Kooij, who likes racing in Croatia.

The young Dutchman has already achieved two victories in Croatia, in GP Umag and GP Poreč in the early spring of 2020. 

Kooij also took the lead in the blue T-shirt standings for the best sprinter in the CRO Race.

In the 2nd stage, the fight to escape lasted a bit longer than in the first, but shortly after the start in Slunj, six cyclists stood out from the leading group - Poles Marcin Budzinski (HRE Mazowsze Serce Polski) and Mateusz Grabis (Voster ATS Team), Belgian Laurens Huys (Bingoal Pauwels Saucers WB), Slovenian Boštjan Murn (Adria Mobil), German Dominik Roeber (P & S Metalltechnik) and Austrian Manuel Bosch (Felbermayr Simplon Wels).

At the first passing goal in Plitvice Lakes, Budzinski was first in front of Grabis and Roeber. In the first ascent of the day towards Varičaci, two Kern Pharma drivers, Spaniard Jaime Castrillo and Russian Sava Novikov, stood out from the peloton. The duo quickly reached the top six, but Budzinski was ahead of Castrillo and Roeber.

The maximum advantage the eight cyclists had over the leading group was a little more than four minutes, but already during the descent towards Otočac and the first passage through the finish line, it dropped to three and a half minutes. During the first passage through the finish line in Otočac, Grabis was first in front of Castrillo and Roeber. On the most challenging climb of the day, Castrillo stood out from the leading group, who won the mountain finish in Kuterevo and thus took the lead in the overall standings for best climber. He will wear a green shirt in the third stage on Thursday.

Castrillo remained alone in the lead until about 20 kilometers before the finish and won the passing goal in Perušić. 

The third stage from Primošten to Makarska (167 kilometers long) is scheduled for Thursday.

Schedule: 

September 30, 3rd stage: Primošten - Makarska (167km)

October 1, 4th stage: Zadar - Crikvenica (197km)

October 2, 5th stage: Rabac / Labin - Opatija (137.5km)

October 3, 6th stage: Samobor - Zagreb (156.5km)

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE.

September 27, 2021 - The 2021 CRO Race international cycling race will be held from September 28 to October 3 in six stages, on a route of more than 1,000 kilometers throughout Croatia.

This year, the 6th edition will offer many exciting attractions and pass through thirteen counties, including some already known and new destinations, reports Jutarnji List. 

The never-stronger race will host twenty world cycling teams from Europe, Asia, America, and Australia, from World Teams, Professional Continental, and Continental. CRO Race will drive the following stages: 1. Osijek - Varaždin (237 km), 2. Slunj - Otočac (187 km), 3. Primošten - Makarska (167 km), 4. Zadar - Crikvenica (197 km), 5. Rabac / Labin - Opatija (137.5 km) and 6. Samobor - Zagreb (156.5 km). The end of the last stage and the announcement of the overall winner this year will be at the Croatian National Theater on the Republic Square in Zagreb.

At the moment, 140 cyclists from six continents have registered, and among the teams that stand out is Dutch Jumbo - Visma, currently the second team in the world ranking, and Bahrain Victorius from Bahrain, fourth place in the world rankings with 27 wins in the 2021 season, advancing the most in the world rankings from 11th to 4th place. There are also teams from Australia, Belgium, Israel, Norway, Germany, the United States, and Slovenia, two teams from Italy and Poland, and three teams from Austria and Spain. A total of six Croatians will take part in the race - Antonio Barać (Meridiana Kamen Team), Matija Beđić (Meridiana Kamen Team), Filip Kvasina (Meridiana Kamen Team), Lorenzo Marenzi (Meridiana Kamen Team), Fran Miholjević (Cycling Team Friuli) and Josip Rumac (Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec).

The race's organizer is Top Sport Events, which has already proven its success during the past five editions of the CRO Race and is headed by the celebrated former Croatian cyclist Vladimir Miholjević.

"I thank all state institutions, counties, cities, municipalities, and other destination partners, as well as all partners and sponsors who are with us and support this project. This year we are even more strongly motivated to show Croatia and the world the readiness to organize such an event at the highest level that best promotes our country and its natural beauty. As you already know, CRO Race has an excellent status in the cycling world, confirmed by the race in the World Cycling Organization (UCI) calendar and the 2.1 race ranking qualification. So far, the biggest names of professional cycling have participated in previous editions of the race. With each new edition, we try to raise the bar, so this year we bring leading cycling teams and send a picture from the largest Croatian sports arena to more than 190 countries around the world," said Vladimir Miholjevic, director of the CRO Race.

As in previous years, the race will be broadcast daily by Croatian Radio and Television, and the live broadcast will be broadcast on Eurosport. In addition, thanks to the collaboration with A.S.O., the television signal will be broadcast on six continents - in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia - in as many as 190 countries.

The race starts this year from Osijek, passes through Ludbreg, and ends in Varaždin. Destination partners are Osijek-Baranja County, the City of Osijek, the City of Ludbreg, and the City of Varaždin.

The town of Slunj opens the second stage before cyclists descend to Lika-Senj County, which will, with a finish in the town of Otočac, provide a household for the first time at the end of one stage. The destination partners are Lika-Senj County, the City of Slunj, the Municipality of Perušić, and the City of Otočac.

The entire caravan then moves to the coast, more precisely to Primošten, from where the third stage, 167 kilometers long, will lead through Rogoznica to the finish line in Makarska, passing through the southernmost point so far - Živogošće. The destination partners at this stage are Split-Dalmatia County, the Municipality of Primošten, the Municipality of Rogoznica, the Municipality of Tučepi, the Municipality of Podgora, and the City of Makarska.

The fourth stage starts in Zadar and moves through Starigrad Paklenica, continuing with a dynamic ride along the Adriatic Highway, leading cyclists to the bonus goal in Senj and to the finish in Crikvenica. Destination partners at this stage are the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Zadar County, the City of Zadar, the Municipality of Starigrad-Paklenica, and the City of Crikvenica.

The fifth stage, which covers the Istria and Primorje-Gorski Kotar counties, is in Rabac and Labin, passing through Pazin, Kastav, Viškovo, and Rijeka and ending in Opatija. Destination partners at this stage are the County of Istria, the municipality of Viškovo, and the cities of Rabac / Labin, Pazin, Kastav, Rijeka, and Opatija.

The final, sixth stage, will start in Samobor and pass through Sveta Nedelja, Velika Gorica, Dugo Selo, and Vrbovec and the last mountain goal of the race in Sveti Ivan Zelina, after which it will end in Zagreb. Destination partners at this stage are the Zagreb County, the City of Samobor, the City of Sveta Nedelja, the City of Dugo Selo, the City of Vrbovec, the City of Sveti Ivan Zelina, and the City of Zagreb.

Since the first edition, CRO Race has been supported by the highest state institutions, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy, the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, the Croatian National Tourist Board, the Central State Office for Sports, Plitvice Lakes, the City of Zagreb, the National Road Safety Plan, the Croatian Olympic Committee, the Croatian Cycling Federation and many other cities and counties that host the start and finish or passing cities of some of this year's stages.

In addition to HEP as one of the main sponsors, the project includes numerous other sponsors and partners: Valamar Riviera, Škoda, Uniline, Keindl Sport, Jadran Crikvenica, Maslinica Rabac, Brijuni National Park, Krka National Park, Avis, Vinistra, Ale, Caffe Borbone, Elite and Bilić-Erić osiguranje, and media and production partners Sportske Novosti, Hrvatska radiotelevizija, Amaury Sport Organization and Croatel.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE.