Friday’s hardest stage at this year’s Cro race was 160.5 kilometres long, with 3100 metres of elevation gain. The day started on the island of Krk and finished in Istria, in the picturesque old city of Labin. Team Bahrain Victorious began in the early breakaway with Robert Stannard and the team controlled the race from the start.

On a tricky finish, Edoardo Zambanini just missed out on victory behind Lund Tobias Andresen (DFP) but it was still a successful outcome for the Italian, who moved up ten places to 3rd overall. Fred Wright finished 4th and is 4th on GC.

Zambanini reflected on his second-place finish: 

“It was a hard-fought race from the start, with many teams trying to get a rider in the breakaway. We planned to do the same, and we succeeded with Stannard. Throughout the race, my teammates supported me very well, and I have to thank them for that. On the long climb, I felt strong and confident. We made a selection, and at the top, five of us were in the lead, with Robert still in front.

After the descent, the group caught up with us, but I was still feeling strong heading into the final circuit. We stuck to our plan to go for the sprint. Fred was with me, and we were well-positioned. Up until 150 meters to go, we were in the lead and had a chance for a 1-2 finish, but unfortunately, a rider from DSM overtook me and claimed the victory. I’m still happy with my performance and want to thank the team for their great support.”

Sports Director Borut Božič said after the race:

“It was a great day for us. The boys showed a lot of effort. They finished this stage great as a team. Robert was powerful today, so we were already in the breakaway in the beginning, and then the plan was to go for Fred, who has been in the GC frame since the beginning and for Edoardo who is good at fast climb finishes. Fran helped them to get in a good position for the last 500m. Second and fourth place is a good result for us.”