Slovenian climber makes a bold attack for UAE Team Emirates-XRG with 39km to go, and sprints to third from a select group on stage 4

News | Team –25th September 2026

A day after Tim Wellens took third spot on stage 3, it was his teammate Domen Novak who shone on the roads of the CRO Race. The Slovenian made a decisive attack on stage 4 and ultimately crossed the line in third place, with Wellens retaining his third place overall heading into the final two stages.

Novak and UAE Team Emirates-XRG were particularly active on Friday’s stage, with Julius Johansen spending an hour or two in the day’s breakaway, before his teammate took the reins inside the final 40km.

After having supported Wellens on the Hors Catégorie Učka climb, Novak spotted an opportune moment to attack from the peloton with 39km to ride. This served a dual purpose for Wellens’ general classification ambitions, as Novak could act either as a satellite rider or provide a reason for Wellens to save his legs behind.

In the end, action from the peloton was subdued on stage 4, and the GC battle never really took flame. Instead, with Novak up the road, UAE Team Emirates-XRG could play its hand at a second stage victory of the week – hoping to add to the stage 1 success of Sebástian Molano.

Into the final 10km of racing between Pula and Rijeka, Novak was part of a four-man group that he had sparked with his attack. There was a moment when the Slovenian, whose birthplace fell less than 50km from Friday’s route, was momentarily distanced. But the two-time national champion dug deep to drag himself back into contention.

The four riders decided the day’s honours in a sprint, with Dani Martínez of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe claiming the win. As for Novak, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG man crossed the line in third place, with the loyal teammate taking his best personal result of the season to date.

On Thursday, Novak’s contract extension until 2029 with UAE Team Emirates-XRG was announced. A day later, he provided another demonstration of his class, and could be content with his efforts upon reflection.

Novak: “I am really happy with how the team rode today, on a stage that could have gone many different ways. Of course, for us as a team the priority was to set Tim up for whatever came. This is why we were very determined to have somebody in a breakaway, and in the end it was Julius who broke away and managed to go up the road.

“That meant we had somebody in place for the climb, if everything exploded in the peloton. Ultimately, the big climb was ridden at a solid but not crazy tempo, so I stayed with Tim and on the descent, we made our plan for the last 40km. For me, this meant I attacked at a moment where the peloton was not working so well together.

“Once I was up the road, it suited the team, because I could play for my result and Tim did not need to do any work behind. It seems in the end that the GC battle did not really happen, so I got the green light from Andrej [Hauptman, Sports Director] to make a sprint. This is not my usual role but I gave it a good go and I can be satisfied with third. It is nice to show good legs, especially on a stage so close to my home in Slovenia.”

CRO Race 2026 stage 4 results:

1. Daniel Martínez (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) 3:43:19

2. Louis Vervaeke (Soudal Quick-Step) s.t

3. Domen Novak (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) s.t

CRO Race 2026 general classification after stage 4:

1. Tobias Svarre (Uno-X Mobility) 14:34:32

2. Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) +4″

3. Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +8″