Orluis Aular Wins the CRO Race Despite Crash, Campbell Stewart Takes Final Stage

Orluis Aular Emerges Victorious in CRO Race 2023

Venezuelan Cyclist Claims Eighth Edition of Tour of Croatia

Published on 01/10/2023

The Caja Rural-Seguros RGA rider, Orluis Aular, has triumphed in the highly anticipated eighth edition of the CRO Race (Tour of Croatia). Aular managed to maintain his lead throughout the sixth and final stage, a 157.5-kilometer route from Samobor to the Croatian capital, which presented no significant challenges in terms of terrain.

Despite encountering a fall at the finish line that nearly jeopardized his victory, Aular, who had already secured the leader’s jersey after winning the fifth stage, emerged as the champion. He displayed remarkable resilience by swiftly getting back on his feet within the designated safety zone and preserving his overall lead.

The second and third spots on the podium were claimed by Alexander Kristoff from Norway (Uno-X Pro Cycling) with a mere three-second difference, and Ethan Hayter from the United Kingdom (Ineos Grenadiers).

Thrilling Victory for Campbell Stewart in the Final Stage

The last stage, held in Zagreb, witnessed an exhilarating triumph by Campbell Stewart from New Zealand (Jayco-AlUla). Stewart outpaced his competitors, including Alexander Kristoff and Slovenian rider Gal Glivar (Adria Mobil), securing a well-deserved victory.

The peloton successfully reeled in the remaining members of the day’s breakaway with just 2.7 kilometers to go, setting the stage for an intense sprint finish. A bumpy sprint that nearly cost Aular his overall classification.

Stay tuned for more updates.

CRO Race 2023 Classifications

Complete classifications: [Click here]

Classification of the 8th stage:

• Campbell Stewart (NZL/Jayco-AlUla) – 3:17:49
• Alexander Kristoff (NOR/Uno-X Pro Cycling) – mt
• Gal Glivar (SLO/Adria Mobil) – mt
• Nicolo Parisini (ITA/Q36.5) – mt
• Tobias Lund Andresen (DEN/DSM-Firmenich) – mt
• Matevz Govekar (SLO/Bahrain-Victorious) – mt
• Giovanni Lonardi (ITA/Eolo-Kometa) – mt
• Tim Torn Teutenberg (GER/Lidl-Trek) – mt
• Nicol Buratti (ITA/Bahrain-Victorious) at 0:03
• Iri Leito (POR/Caja Rural-RGA) at 0:03

General classification:

• Orluis Aular (VEN/Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) – 22:59:38
• Alexander Kristoff (NOR/Uno-X Pro Cycling) at 0:03
• Ethan Hayter (GBR/Ineos Grenadiers) at 0:09
• Magnus Sheffield (USA/Ineos Grenadiers) at 0:09
• Gal Glivar (SLO/Adria Mobil) at 0:13
• Nicolo Parisini (ITA/Q36.5) at 0:14
• Urko Berrade (ESP/Kern Pharma) at 0:17
• Matthew Dinham (AUS/DSM-Firmenich) at 0:17
• Erik Fetter (HUN/Eolo-Kometa) at 0:17
• Piotr Pekala (POL/Santic-Wibatech) at 0:26

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