Paul Magnier sprints to victory in CRO Race opening stage

French rider Paul Magnier claimed the first stage of the 10th CRO Race on Tuesday, powering to victory on the 162.5-kilometer route from Split to Sinj.

Magnier (Soudal–QuickStep) launched a perfectly timed sprint to edge out Danny van Poppel (Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe) and Oded Kogut (Israel–Premier Tech) for the stage win. The triumph marks the 11th victory of the season for the in-form 20-year-old, who also pulled on the race leader’s red jersey ahead of Stage 2.

After the finish, Magnier credited his teammates—especially Belgian rider Dries Van Gestel—for their support.

“Van Gestel and I worked really well together in Slovakia as well. I have to thank the whole team for their effort. This is my first time in Croatia and I’m delighted—I even managed to swim in the beautiful sea yesterday,” Magnier said.

Croatian riders Fran Miholjević and Nicolas Gojković finished safely in the main bunch, recording the same time as the winner, while Ian Peran crossed the line more than ten minutes back.

The race continues Wednesday with a 119-kilometer second stage from Biograd to Novalja.