Domen Novak's Bold Move That Nearly Stole the CRO Race Show

Klaus Schmidt · 2026-09-26

Sometimes the best moments in cycling aren't about winning. They're about the guts it takes to try. Domen Novak reminded everyone of that on stage 4 of the CRO Race. The Slovenian climber launched a daring attack with 39km to go, riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, and held on to sprint for third place from a select group at the finish. It was a performance that deserved more attention than it got. ### What Actually Happened on Stage 4 Let's set the scene. Just one day earlier, Tim Wellens had grabbed third on stage 3. So the team was already riding with momentum. Then Novak decided to shake things up. With 39km still to race, he went clear. That's a long way from the finish to be out on your own, especially on a course like the CRO Race where the roads bite back. But Novak committed. He pushed hard, kept his rhythm, and when the select group caught him, he still had enough left to sprint for the podium. Third place. Well-earned. And here's the thing that often gets lost: Wellens kept his third place overall. So the team walked away from the day with two reasons to smile. ### Why This Matters More Than You Think The CRO Race might not be a Grand Tour, but stages like this tell you a lot about a rider. Anyone can sit in the bunch and wait for a sprint. It takes a different kind of rider to attack with 39km to go and then still finish on the podium. That's not just fitness. That's instinct. That's confidence. Novak has been building toward moments like this. He's a climber by trade, and on a stage that rewarded boldness, he showed exactly why UAE Team Emirates-XRG brought him on board. As one cycling analyst put it after the stage: > "Attacking that far out is a statement. Finishing third after doing it? That's a rider who trusts his legs." ### The Bigger Picture Heading Into the Final Stages With two stages left, Wellens sits third overall. That's a strong position. The team has options now. They can protect Wellens, or they can send Novak up the road again to put pressure on the other teams. Either way, they're not just riding to survive. They're racing to win. ### Quick Takeaways From the Day - Novak attacked with 39km to go and still sprinted to third - Wellens held third overall for the second straight day - UAE Team Emirates-XRG now has two riders in podium contention - The team heads into the final two stages with real tactical flexibility ### What to Watch Next The final two stages will decide everything. Wellens needs to stay sharp, and Novak has proven he's willing to take risks. If the team plays its cards right, they could walk away with more than just a couple of podium finishes. For now, though, Novak's ride stands on its own. A bold move, a smart finish, and a reminder that sometimes third place feels a lot like a win. That's the kind of racing that keeps you watching.