Another Second Place for Zambanini on the Queen Stage of the Cro Race

# Zambanini Clinches Second Place in Challenging Queen Stage of Cro Race

The much-anticipated Queen stage of this year’s Cro Race proved to be a true test of endurance, featuring a grueling 190km route with an impressive 3,780 metres of climbing. Starting from Rab, the race began at a relentless pace as teams vied to form a breakaway, yet the WorldTour squads found themselves shut out. The Učka climb tested the riders’ strength, narrowing the field but leaving all the elite competitors still in contention as they approached the decisive Skitača climb.

Edoardo Zambanini, who demonstrated exceptional perseverance throughout the race, shared insights from the final stretch. “I felt good throughout the day. I stayed with the team and they supported me a lot. We tackled Skitača in a strong position. Jakob managed to get a gap 2–3 km from the top, but the Ineos rider (Magnus Sheffield) closed it and 14 of us came together. We weren’t working hard enough to bring back Brandon McNulty, who already had a minute on us. With 8 km to go I tried to go clear with two riders, hoping for some collaboration, but I ended up doing most of the work. On the last climb I gave everything I had to secure second place. McNulty really made the difference on the first part of Skitača; he was very strong today.”

Jakob Omrzel also showcased his talent, finishing in 7th place, which earned him the coveted white jersey designating him as the best young rider in the competition.

Reflecting on the race, Sports Director Aart Vierhouten noted the challenges faced, stating, “It was a tough race today. After three fast stages, this was the climbing day, and it was always going to be decided in the finale. Already midway through, the long steady ascent of Učka split the peloton down to just 50 riders. From there, UAE set a fierce tempo into the first crossing of the finish line, 37km to go, which sparked the first attacks.”

He highlighted the critical nature of positioning during the demanding course, “We knew positioning would be crucial there, so Damiano, Fran, and Vlad worked extremely hard to place Edoardo Zambanini, Max van der Meulen, and Jakob Omrzel within the first 10 riders at the base. Jakob climbed strongly alongside Edoardo, but they just missed the decisive move when McNulty attacked. And when McNulty goes, he goes—he’s a time trial specialist and looked unbeatable today. Full credit to him.”

After McNulty’s attack, two groups coalesced, comprising 14 riders. Vierhouten explained their strategy: “On the radio, we instructed our riders to stay calm, regroup, and focus on second place, which would also mean second overall. They executed the plan perfectly. In the final 8km, Edoardo attacked with Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) and Diego Uriarte (Kern Pharma). Unfortunately, they didn’t want to contribute, so Edoardo had to do most of the work to keep the gap, while Jakob supported from behind.”

Ultimately, Zambanini achieved a commendable 2nd place finish, while Omrzel claimed the sprint for 6th. This strong performance leaves Zambanini in 2nd place overall and Omrzel in 7th, marking a positive outcome for the team. Vierhouten expressed his satisfaction, stating, “Having two riders in the top 10 is a fantastic result for the team. I also want to highlight Max’s performance; he rode a superb race to finish 17th, just missing out on the front group. Overall, the whole team can be proud of today.”