Lund Andresen Snatches Dramatic Stage Win as McNulty Maintains CRO Race Lead

In a thrilling finish to stage 4 of the 2024 CRO Race, up-and-coming Danish rider Tobias Lund Andresen (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) surged past the leading group in the final meters to claim victory on the uphill finish. Despite Lund Andresen's impressive performance, Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) remains firmly in control of the overall race lead with just two stages remaining.

A Nail-Biting Finish Caps an Eventful Stage

Breakaway Animates the Early Kilometers

The 160.5-kilometer stage saw a strong breakaway group of five riders – Robert Stannard (Bahrain Victorious), Ryan Mullen (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Hugo Aznar (Kern Pharma), Andreas Leknessund (Uno X Mobility), and Tim Marsman (Metec-SOLARWATT p/b Mantel) – establish an advantage of over two minutes at the base of the day's major climb, the Hors Categorie Poklon ascent. However, the peloton, led by the efforts of Polti-Kometa and UAE Team Emirates, gradually reeled in the escapees.

Poklon Climb Shakes Up the Race

The Poklon climb proved to be a decisive moment in the stage, as Leknessund attacked and shed Marsman and Mullen from the breakaway. Meanwhile, the peloton split into several large groups, with UAE Team Emirates' hard work on the 11.7-kilometer climb putting McNulty in a precarious position. Multiple attacks from Kern Pharma riders left McNulty isolated and forced to chase alone, with only a small group of riders remaining at the summit.

Lund Andresen Seizes the Opportunity

As the race reached the final circuit and the cobbled cat 3 Labin climb, the action intensified. Bahrain Victorious duo Fred Wright and Edoardo Zambanini raised the pace on the second ascent of the Labin, but it was Lund Andresen who timed his surge perfectly, zipping past the leaders in the final meters to claim the stage victory. McNulty, who had been closely monitoring the GC contenders, finished seventh, a handful of seconds behind the Danish rider.

McNulty Maintains Overall Lead

Despite the thrilling stage win for Lund Andresen, McNulty remains firmly in control of the overall race lead, holding a 22-second advantage over the young Danish rider. Zambanini sits in third place overall, with the CRO Race now heading into its final two stages.

Lund Andresen's Humble Reaction

In the post-race interview, Lund Andresen expressed his surprise at the victory, crediting his team for their support and pacing him back to the front group after the grueling Poklon climb. The young rider acknowledged the strength of McNulty's performance and the difficulty of overtaking him in the overall standings, but remained hopeful of securing a spot on the final podium.The 2024 CRO Race has delivered another captivating stage, with Lund Andresen's late surge providing a thrilling conclusion to the day's events. As the race enters its final two stages, the battle for the overall title remains firmly in McNulty's hands, but the young Danish rider has proven that he is a force to be reckoned with in the closing kilometers.