Elia Viviani Wins Stage 1 of CRO Race 2023

Elia Viviani is the winner of the first stage of CRO Race 2023.

September 27, 2023.

After 4 hours and 38 minutes of dynamic racing, Italian Elia Viviani was the first to cross the finish line of the first stage of the eighth edition of the CRO Race, which was raced from Primošten to Sinj, covering a distance of 181 kilometers.

Shortly after leaving Primošten, a group of five riders emerged at the front, including Italians Simone Bevilacqua (Eolo-Kometa) and Edward Ravasi (Hrinkow), Spaniard Raul Garcia (Kern Pharma), Czech Michal Schuran (ATT Investments), and Pole Mateusz Grabis (Voster). The leading group managed to build a lead of over four and a half minutes ahead of the peloton with their harmonious riding.

Grabis was the first to pass through the first intermediate sprint in Šibenik, ahead of Bevilacqua and Garcia. At the first mountain sprint of the race in Ljubitovica, Schuran took the top spot ahead of Bevilacqua and Ravasi.

The breakaway riders were the first to reach the second mountain sprint in Lećevica, although their lead had been reduced to less than three minutes. Ravasi took first place, with Schuran and Bevilacqua taking second and third respectively. This was followed by the second intermediate sprint in Split, where Grabis once again claimed the top spot ahead of Garcia and Ravasi.

During the ascent to Klis, the third and most difficult climb of the day, Grabis dropped from the leading group, leaving Schuran and Bevilacqua to compete for first place at the summit. Despite Bevilacqua winning the mountain sprint at Klis, Schuran secured the green jersey for the best climber by finishing second and scoring one more point than Bevilacqua. Bevilacqua collected 11 points, while Schuran amassed a total of 12 points, but it remains to be seen whether he will retain the jersey in the upcoming stages.

With the leading group reduced to just three riders approaching the first passage through Sinj, Schuran was the first to cross the finish line at the Alka Racecourse. Throughout the stage, Schuran had showcased his strong form and the potential to replicate his success on the Bulgarian roads in August. However, with only 20 kilometers to go, Schuran lost the lead, setting the stage for a battle for the stage victory.

The experienced 34-year-old Viviani clinched his first victory of the season with the help of his well-coordinated team, who took the lead in the final kilometers, practically setting up the sprint for him. With the stage win, Viviani also became the leader of the overall classification, donning the red jersey, and he is also currently leading the points classification for the blue jersey.

“Throughout the season, I have achieved very good results, so this stage win is a great relief. My team prepared a perfect lead-out for me in the final kilometers. I came here to win as many stages as possible, and Magnus Sheffield will fight for the overall victory,” said Viviani, who arrived in Croatia directly from the Netherlands, where he participated in the European Championships. “Since we landed in Croatia, considering the weather and the views we see here, the team and I feel like we are on vacation,” added Viviani.

Just behind Viviani, Danish rider Tobias Andersen (DSM-Firmenich) finished second, while another veteran, 36-year-old Norwegian Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X), claimed third place.

Almost near the finish line, the stage was marked by a crash involving last year’s champion Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) and several other riders, which occurred approximately seven kilometers before the finish. Although his teammate Fran Miholjević came to his aid shortly after, Mohorič crossed the finish line 50 seconds behind the main group.

The start of the first stage was attended by Šibenik-Knin County Prefect Marko Jelić, Deputy County Prefect Iris Ukić Kotarac, Mayor of Primošten Stipe Petrina, and Director of the Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board Krešimir Šakić.

The arrival of the cyclists at the finish line was celebrated by the Mayor of Sinj Miro Bulj, a representative of the Split-Dalmatia County Igor Stanišić, Deputy Mayor of Sinj Denis Bobeta, representative of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board Joško Rogošić, and Director of the Sinj Tourist Board Monika Vrgoč.

The second stage will start on Wednesday, September 27 from Biograd na Moru at 2:15 pm and will finish in Novalja. The arrival of the cyclists in Novalja is expected between 4:49 pm and 5:02 pm.

Photo credits: Mario Stiehl, Luis Gomez/Sprint Cycling Agency.