Brandon McNulty wins stage 4 of the CRO Race and takes the leader’s jersey

With an imperious display on the roads of Croatia’s east coast, Brandon McNulty won stage 4 of the CRO Race in style. The American attacked on the penultimate climb and rode solo to the finish in Labin, picking up UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s 87th win of the season and moving himself into the race leader’s jersey.

The 27-year-old is in a rich vein of form, having recently won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal and the Sköda Tour de Luxembourg, two victories which proved history-making for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. Adding to the team’s record-breaking victory tally, McNulty could not be stopped as he won stage 4 with over a minute’s advantage.

With two stages to go of this year’s edition, McNulty now holds a commanding position, with the second-placed Edoardo Zambanini sitting 1:39 down in the general classification. The American’s impressive outing on Friday afternoon was teed up by the excellent work of his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates, with Tim Wellens producing the lead-out that allowed McNulty to make his stage-winning attack.

Earlier in the day, a four-rider breakaway had gone up the road on the stage between Krk and Labin, but it was really on the first categorised climb that the pace really ramped up in the peloton behind. Up the 11.3km-long Poklon ascent, Rune Herregodts set a demanding tempo at the front on behalf of his teammate McNulty.

The Belgian’s hard work was soon followed up by Julius Johansen and Wellens, both of whom put McNulty into position to take bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint in Kršan. It was here, 138km into the day’s racing, that McNulty snapped up three bonus seconds and gave an indication as to his ambitions in the general classification.

With the breakaway brought to heel, all eyes soon turned to the penultimate climb of the day, which stretched out for 3.4km at 11.1%. It was here that UAE Team Emirates-XRG really grasped the stage by the collar, with Wellens unleashing an infernal pace at the front of the peloton. Under his steam, the group was strung out into one long line, with McNulty able to capitalise and attack over the top with 23.9km to ride.

Within a few hundred metres, the American was alone, and he would not be seen again before the finish.

Over the top of the climb and beyond, McNulty only stretched his advantage over the chasers behind, with the 27-year-old coming to the foot of the final climb with over a minute of a lead. By the finish line, that advantage was clocked at one minute and 40 seconds, exemplifying the American’s dominance on the day.

With the stage victory, not only does McNulty go into the race leader’s jersey, but also the lead of the King of the Mountains classification, with two stages to ride. Speaking after the finish, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider noted that this move had been the team’s plan from the moment that the flag dropped on stage 4.

McNulty: “It was kind of the plan the whole day, we knew this climb was super steep and decisive, so the team kept everything controlled and I gave everything I had there. I had a bit of suffering to the finish but that was basically how we planned.

“I think it is easier than last year [to keep the jersey until the finish], because last year we had less gap and all the bonus seconds. So to have over one minute is a little bit more comfortable, I think as long as everything goes smoothly, we should be ok.”

CRO Race stage 4 results:

1. Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 4:47:57

2. Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious) 1:40

3. Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) s.t

CRO Race general classification after stage 4

1. Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 13:04:52

2. Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious) 1:39

3. Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) 1:49