Domen Novak's Bold 39km Attack Nearly Stole the Show

Klaus Schmidt · 2026-09-26

Sometimes the best stories in cycling aren't about the winner. They're about the rider who rolls the dice, throws caution to the wind, and forces everyone else to react. That's exactly what Domen Novak did on stage 4 of the CRO Race. ### A Day After Wellens, It Was Novak's Turn Tim Wellens had already given UAE Team Emirates-XRG something to smile about with a third-place finish on stage 3. You'd think that would be enough for one team in a single week. But cycling doesn't really work that way. Less than 24 hours later, it was Domen Novak's moment. The Slovenian climber launched a decisive attack with roughly 24 miles still to race — a move that takes real nerve when the road ahead is long and the peloton behind you is hungry. ### Why That Attack Mattered Attacking from that far out isn't a casual decision. It's a gamble. You burn matches you can't get back, and if the group behind you organizes, you're left dangling in the wind with nothing to show for it. But Novak committed. He pushed clear of the bunch and held his advantage into the closing kilometers, eventually sprinting to third place from a reduced select group. Not a win, sure. But the kind of ride that earns respect in the peloton. Here's what stood out: - He attacked with about 24 miles to go, an unusually early move - He survived into the final selection instead of fading - He still had enough left to sprint for the podium - Wellens held onto third overall, keeping the team's GC hopes alive ### The Team Picture Heading Into the Final Stages With two stages left, UAE Team Emirates-XRG sits in a pretty comfortable spot. Wellens is still third on general classification, and Novak's aggression showed the team isn't just defending — they're willing to animate the race. That matters. Teams that only sit in and protect a position tend to lose it anyway. Teams that keep attacking? They force everyone else to work, and sometimes that pressure cracks the riders ahead of you. As Novak himself might put it, you don't get podiums by waiting for someone else to make the first move. ### What This Means for the Rest of the Race The CRO Race isn't over, and the gaps at the top are tight enough that one bad day — or one brilliant one — could flip the standings. Wellens needs to stay sharp. Novak has shown he's willing to go long. And the riders ahead of them now know this team won't just roll over. For fans, that's the fun part. You never quite know when a mid-race attack turns into something bigger. Novak's ride on stage 4 was a reminder that third place can feel a lot like a win when you've earned it the hard way. Two stages to go. Keep an eye on the guys in the UAE colors — they're not done yet.