"I started my sprint a little bit earlier than him to surprise Viviani and I was able to keep it up!" - Alexander Kristoff celebrates 7th victory of the season
Cycling
Alexander Kristoff was the strongest in the sprint of the opening stage of this year's CRO Race (2.1). For the experienced Norwegian, this is his seventh victory this year, marking one of his best seasons in a long time.
"I didn't feel well today," a panting Kristoff begins the flash interview. "I'm a bit sick, a bit of a cold. So we didn't really want to work today, because I said I didn't feel well. At the end we still put a man in to catch the early breakaway back. We were actually lucky that they fell at the front. That made it easier to catch them back."
"The final was quite stressful," the now 37-year-old Norwegian continues. "Some narrow roads with sharp bends. We managed to stay in position quite well, and also to stay together quite well. In the last kilometers there were four of us. I knew that we lacked a bit of firepower compared to INEOS for example. They didn't do any front work during the stage and have a lot of strong riders."
With that in mind, Kristoff knew exactly what to do in the sprint. "So I looked for Viviani in the last kilometer, and I was able to get on his wheel. I started my sprint a little bit earlier than him to surprise him a bit. Luckily I was strong enough to keep it up, because it was quite a long sprint with a bit of headwind."
The climb in the middle of the stage was the big obstacle on Tuesday. "That was really tough, even full throttle for me. Last year I was second in the general classification here, but then I was maybe in better shape."
Kristoff is already satisfied in any case. "Now I have my victory, because I always came second last year. So I am already happy with this race. Compared to last year I am in worse shape, which will make a good general classification difficult. I will do my best to win more stages this week."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
- It would be great if the World Champion's jersey could be rotated among McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson. They threaded the needle perfectly. If each hadn't done exactly what he did, exactly when he did it, the race would have gone to one of the more heralded superstars. That said, how nice that this humble and hardworking guy gets his moment in the sun.
MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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It’s a win 💪🥇 @kristoff87 sprints to the victory on stage 1 of @cro_race 🔥 Amazing teamwork put Alex into a winning position before he delivered a top sprint 💨 📷: @gruchaseven #CROrace
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