Domen Novak's Bold Attack Almost Steals the Show at CRO Race

Klaus Schmidt · 2026-09-26

There's a moment in every bike race when the pack hesitates, and one rider decides to gamble. That's exactly what Domen Novak did on stage 4 of the CRO Race. With about 24 miles to go, the Slovenian climber launched a bold attack for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, and for a while, it looked like the gamble might pay off. He didn't win the stage, but he did cross the line in third place from a select group of contenders. Not bad for a guy who spent most of the day in the shadows of his more decorated teammate, Tim Wellens. ### The Move That Shook Up Stage 4 Attacking with 24 miles left isn't a small ask. That's roughly the distance from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica, and doing it on a climb-heavy course takes serious legs. Novak went anyway, forcing the other teams to chase. - He attacked with about 24 miles (39 km) remaining - He held off the charging peloton just long enough - He sprinted to third from a reduced group - Wellens kept his third place overall For a rider who isn't usually the headline act, this was a statement. It told everyone watching that UAE Team Emirates-XRG isn't just one or two guys. They've got depth. ### Why This Third Place Matters More Than It Looks A third-place finish on a single stage might not sound like much. But context is everything here. Wellens had just taken third on stage 3, and now Novak matched him a day later. That's back-to-back podium-level rides from the same team on consecutive days. It also keeps Wellens sitting third overall with only two stages left. In stage racing, momentum is real. When your teammate is out there animating the race, it takes pressure off the leader and forces rival teams to burn matches. Novak's attack wasn't reckless. It was strategic. He made the others work, and even though he didn't hold them off, he made them earn it. ### What's Next for the Team Two stages remain, and Wellens is still third on general classification. The team has options now. They can defend, or they can let Novak try again. Either way, they've shown they're not afraid to race aggressively. > "You don't always need to win the stage to make an impact. Sometimes you just need to make everyone else nervous." That's basically what Novak did. He turned a predictable stage into a question mark, and that's worth something. ### The Bigger Picture Races like the CRO Race often get overlooked in the shadow of grand tours. But stages like this one remind you why cycling is such a compelling sport. A domestique can become a protagonist. A third place can feel like a victory. And a single attack can change the mood of an entire race. Domen Novak probably won't remember this as the biggest day of his career. But he should. He raced with guts, and he gave his team exactly what they needed: pressure on the other guys and a little breathing room for Wellens. With two stages to go, anything can still happen. But one thing is clear. UAE Team Emirates-XRG came to Croatia to race, not just to ride.