Description
September 26, 2026
11th CRO Race 2026 🇭🇷 (2.Pro) ME – Stage 5 – Karlovac – Sveta Nedelja : 164,5 km
CRO Race is a multi-stage road race across Croatia,
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September 26, 2026
11th CRO Race 2026 🇭🇷 (2.Pro) ME – Stage 5 – Karlovac – Sveta Nedelja : 164,5 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.
After an unsuccessful four days of action at the CRO Race, Paul Magnier finally got the victory he was searching for on stage 5, benefiting from a perfect Soudal-QuickStep lead-out.
With the category 2 Plesivica climb coming in the last 25km of the route, it was far from a simple job for the Belgian team to deliver Magnier to the win, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG pacing hard and several attacks being launched before the summit.
But on the downhill run for home in Sveta Nedelja and after some elite work from Soudal-QuickStep, racing was kept all together before the final 4km, with many of the fast men returning.
With Magnier sat in fourth wheel, they wound things up for the sprint, with Dries Van Gestel providing the final push. Tim Torn Teutenberg tried to jump the Frenchman with an early surge, but once Magnier opened up, he moved away from all his rivals, celebrating with a roar. It brought his 11th win of the season as 35th as a professional, with Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) finishing second and Teutenberg third.
“I’m very happy to be on the top spot of the podium again! The team did an amazing job today! Their lead-out was spectacular, and all I had to do was open my sprint at the right moment and keep it all the way to the line,” said Magnier.
“I knew the parcours from last year and I was aware it would be hard, because some riders were keen on attacking on the climb, but we controlled and brought back all those moves, managing to keep things together for the finale. In the sprint, I started early, but I was confident I could pull it off. Sunday is another opportunity and we are motivated to fight again for the victory.”
After the peloton came to the line as a bunch, there were no major changes in the general classification, with stage 3 winner Tobias Svarre (Uno-X Mobility) maintaining his slim lead of four seconds overall on Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), and eight seconds on Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).
Results :
 ME - Stage 5 </strong> - Karlovac - Sveta Nedelja : 164,5 km
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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.
After an unsuccessful four days of action at the CRO Race, Paul Magnier finally got the victory he was searching for on stage 5, benefiting from a perfect Soudal-QuickStep lead-out.
With the category 2 Plesivica climb coming in the last 25km of the route, it was far from a simple job for the Belgian team to deliver Magnier to the win, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG pacing hard and several attacks being launched before the summit.
But on the downhill run for home in Sveta Nedelja and after some elite work from Soudal-QuickStep, racing was kept all together before the final 4km, with many of the fast men returning.
With Magnier sat in fourth wheel, they wound things up for the sprint, with Dries Van Gestel providing the final push. Tim Torn Teutenberg tried to jump the Frenchman with an early surge, but once Magnier opened up, he moved away from all his rivals, celebrating with a roar. It brought his 11th win of the season as 35th as a professional, with Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) finishing second and Teutenberg third.
"I’m very happy to be on the top spot of the podium again! The team did an amazing job today! Their lead-out was spectacular, and all I had to do was open my sprint at the right moment and keep it all the way to the line," said Magnier.
"I knew the parcours from last year and I was aware it would be hard, because some riders were keen on attacking on the climb, but we controlled and brought back all those moves, managing to keep things together for the finale. In the sprint, I started early, but I was confident I could pull it off. Sunday is another opportunity and we are motivated to fight again for the victory."
After the peloton came to the line as a bunch, there were no major changes in the general classification, with stage 3 winner Tobias Svarre (Uno-X Mobility) maintaining his slim lead of four seconds overall on Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), and eight seconds on Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).
<strong>Results : </strong>
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