Maestri 6th under the pouring rain at the Cro Race, Lonardi holds on and is 2nd in the GC

A torrential downpour shortened and delayed the third stage of the Cro Race, pushing back the start. Several riders, including Mirco Maestri, made attempts to break away from the peloton testing the terrain for a possible escape, but every effort seemed futile until the road began to incline slightly.

With 50 kilometers to go, McNulty broke away solo and claimed the victory. Behind him, on the final two walls in Opatija, the Team Polti Kometa captain hung tough within a shrinking group of chasers. He finished 6th in the sprint and moved up to 7th place in the GC. Giovanni Lonardi, meanwhile, was slightly distanced: the sprinter lost the red jersey to the UAE winner but held onto the blue points classification jersey and is 2nd in the GC.

Maestri: “It was a cold and wet day, shortening the course was the right call because a slippery descent with strong winds would have been very risky for us. Knowing that the times would be neutralized at the entrance to the circuit, it became a battle to chase down the leader and I managed to stay at the Ineos’ wheel. I could have positioned myself better in the sprint, but I got held up a bit by Castrillo’s (Kern) crash in front of me on one of the last tight corners. Still I’m looking at the glass half full, at least I didn’t crash!”

Sport Director Biagio Conte: “Our guys handled themselves very well in such difficult conditions, staying focused every moment and showing they’re in excellent form. It’s a shame about Javier Serrano’s crash near the end, he hurt his pinky finger but we think he’ll be able to continue. Tomorrow we’ll need to maintain this level of performance in the queen stage.”