Results CRO Race 2026 Stage 1 - Juan Sebastian Molano denies Paul Magnier after late attackers caught inside final 500 metres
CyclingTuesday, 22 September 2026 at 16:05
Juan Sebastian Molano sprinted to victory on the opening stage of the 2026 CRO Race, beating defending Stage 1 winner Paul Magnier after a late two-man attack was finally shut down inside the final 500 metres in Seget Donji.
The UAE Team Emirates - XRG sprinter took his second career CRO Race stage victory and his first win since February, with Magnier forced to settle for second despite arriving as the standout favourite. Tim Torn Teutenberg completed the podium for Lidl-Trek.
The 167-kilometre opening stage from Split had initially been shaped by Sam Maisonobe, Gabriele Raccagni, Mihael Štajnar and Mateusz Kostański, who formed the day's main breakaway and spent much of the race around two minutes ahead of the peloton.
Soudal - Quick-Step and Uno-X Mobility controlled much of the pursuit before the quartet was caught with just over 30 kilometres remaining, opening the door for a more aggressive finale.
Axel van der Tuuk attacked inside the final 20 kilometres and was later joined by Sjoerd Bax. The pair still held around 15 seconds with nine kilometres to go, forcing Bahrain Victorious and UAE Team Emirates - XRG to commit to the chase.
Nils Politt was prominent on the front for UAE as the gap was steadily reduced. Van der Tuuk and Bax nevertheless carried their advantage deep into the finale before being swept up with only around 400 metres remaining.
Uno-X then launched the sprint through Erlend Blikra, but Molano emerged strongest in the final metres to beat Magnier and Teutenberg. Zak Eržen finished fourth ahead of Enrico Zanoncello, while GC contender Antonio Tiberi safely placed seventh. Molano also takes the first race lead of the 2026 edition.
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- yeah, I don't see how it is a big deal, the time difference isn't that dramatic. the race starts at 9 AM EDT and could last until 4 PM EDT. that is equivalent to 3 PM to 10 PM CEST. so it would be like finishing the race at 10 PM in Belgium. a little late, but not terrible. I don't know how late MVDP and WVA stay up, but 10 PM isn't nuts. I have traveled east coast USA to Europe a lot, the jet lag is minimal. traveling west to east is significantly easier. frankly most people would barely feel this adjustment.mij22-09-2026
- he seems all over the place with his comments.mij22-09-2026
- why would you even post it? it is senselessmij22-09-2026
- Lidl Trek has a lot of big riders to manage and keep happy.mij22-09-2026
- LOL !!!PogiSloFans22-09-2026
- why is bakelants worried if they aren‘t?Ketterechts22-09-2026
- Thought it was known months ago that Arrieta was leaving.Andy12322-09-2026
- I believe that's what they call "the joke"wrsty22-09-2026
- The same thing happened in the men's under 23 time trial, where Ben Wiggins, the British rider, put out personal best watts but got an inexplicably poor time.Quebrantahuesos22-09-2026
- lolmij22-09-2026
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