CRO Race 2026 – Stage 2 [FULL STAGE]

September 23, 2026

11th CRO Race 2026 🇭🇷 (2.Pro) ME – Stage 2 – Biograd na Moru – Novalja : 114,5 km

CRO Race is a multi-stage road race across Croatia, combining coastal roads, rolling countryside, forested hills and demanding mountain terrain over a series of stages. The route typically alternates between fast flat sections along the Adriatic and inland stages featuring repeated climbs, long descents and changing gradients. Mountain roads can include sustained ascents around 5–8%, with steeper sections providing short bursts of intense effort. Narrow roads, tight bends and technical descents demand precise positioning and confident bike handling, while exposed coastal sections can introduce crosswinds. Racing often begins with breakaway attempts before the peloton settles into a controlled rhythm, with the harder climbs gradually reducing the field. Groups may regroup on descents and flatter roads, creating repeated changes in the tactical situation. Sprinters can contest flatter stages, while climbers and all-round riders become more important on mountainous days. The overall race combines endurance, climbing, positioning and time management, with finishes ranging from bunch sprints to reduced-group battles and solo attacks.

Stage 2 of the CRO Race brought another sprint finish in Novalja as Carl-Frederik Bévort (Uno-X Mobility) proved the fastest sprinter from the bunch.
The 22-year-old Dane scored his first win of the season ahead of Nicolas Gojković (Pogi Team Gusto Ljubljana) as stage 1 winner Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) rounded out the podium in third.

Modern Adventure and Soudal-QuickStep led the way into the final kilometres of the 114.5km stage, but it was Uno-X Mobility who had two on the front heading into the final sprint.

Henrik Pedersen took control of the lead-out with Bévort on his wheel as Gojkoviċ, Daniele Donati (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Matis Louvel (NSN) lined up behind with Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) losing ground.

In the end, it was the Uno-X rider who prevailed, launching from the front with nobody able to match his closing pace. Croatian racer Gojković stuck in his wheel to take second place as Molano came from a poor starting position to pass Donati, Louvel, and Pedersen to come through for third.

The stage was always likely to end in a sprint finish, being flat for much of the way barring two second-category hills. The break of the day saw Szymon Wiśniewski (Wibatech Lubelskie Perla Polski) and Jakob Slibar (Pogi Team Gusto Ljubljana) go clear in the opening kilometres of the race.
They raced to a two-minute lead on the peloton, while Txomin Juaristi (Euskaltel-Euskadi) tried and failed to bridge the gap.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG led the peloton for much of the day, eventually bringing back the two breakaway men 26km from the line. Gabriele Raccagni (Polti-VisitMalta) led the way up the second climb of the day to take over the mountain classification lead, but from there it was smooth sailing to the line as the sprint teams took over.

Attacks from Mihael Stajnar (Pogi Team Gusto Ljubljana), Matteo Turconi (Bardiani CSF-7 Saber), and Axel van der Tuuk (Euskaltel-Euskadi) couldn’t throw off Soudal-QuickStep, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, and Uno-X Mobility, and so the sprint finish was set up.

Results :