Krk has the distinction of hosting two stages of the 4Islands MTB Croatia in 2024 and served up drama for a second day in a row too. After the Bulls Mavericks travails on the Prologue, it was BUFF MEGAMO 1’s turn for mechanical misfortune on Stage 1; on Wednesday, 17 April.
Metallurgica Veneta MTB Pro Team 1 seized the opportunity created by Wout Alleman and Pablo Rodriguez Guede’s absence from the lead group to distance both ORBEA Leatt Speed Company and Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty 2. In so doing the Italians were able to ride their way into yellow. The BUFF MEGAMO Women, meanwhile, had a far simpler day and extended their orange CIOVITA jersey advantage.
As with the Prologue, Stage 1 began and ended in Baška, on Krk. Its 72 kilometre route included 1 530 metres of climbing which was made tougher by muddy sections, compounding the already technical nature of the trails with slippery rocks and roots. The morning had been cool, but the racing was red hot from the off as the top six UCI men’s teams were separated by under 60 seconds.
Within the first 15 kilometres of the day the field had been split into the contenders and the chasers.
Metallurgica Veneta MTB Pro Team 1 were eager to help BUFF MEGAMO 1 set a blistering tempo, which only ORBEA Leatt Speed Company and Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty 2 could follow. BUFF MEGAMO 2’s Hans Becking and José Dias led the chase group with Simon Schneller and Axel Roudil[1]Cortinat, of the Bulls Mavericks, and HEXATRI’s Pierre Billaud and Théo Dupras.
The second group on the trails was able to maintain the gap to the leaders on the descents, but each time the route went uphill Nicola Taffarel, Massimo Rosa, Wout Alleman and Pablo Rodriguez Guede eked out a handful more seconds. Lukas Baum would later confess that he had not enjoyed his best day.
“I had mechanicals, left and right, in my legs,” Baum joked. “I was suffering a bit and couldn’t hold the pace all the way today. We had to ride our own rhythm and we couldn’t catch the Italians; they were super strong today. Second place was the most we cold do.”
“We lost Nicola [Taffarel] and Massimo [Rosa] on the last climb,” Georg Egger explained, filling in the details. “But even before that we had some struggles and lost the group once before. That time we were able to come back. Then Wout [Alleman] had a mechanical as he was attacking. It looked like his chain came off, but I don’t know if it was a bigger mechanical because I see they ended up finishing fifth today.”
Alleman and Rodriguez Guede’s BUFF MEGAMO team manager, Pau Zamora was able to elaborate on what transpired on the trails: “When Wout’s chain dropped it was quite difficult to fix because it was stuck between the ring and the frame, so they lost about 1 minute and 30 seconds getting it out and placing it back on the chainring. That’s it for today, but there are still three days to come…”
With three days to come, there is sure to be more drama and lead changes, if the first two stages of the 2024 the 4Islands MTB Croatia are anything to go by. Taffarel and Rosa’s victory, by 57 seconds over Baum and Egger leapfrogs Metallurgica Veneta MTB Pro Team 1 into a 36 second general classification lead. Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty 2’s Miguel Munoz and Luis Martínez are third, at 2 minutes and 13 seconds, with BUFF MEGAMO 1 and 2 in fourth and fifth, at 2:50 and 2:54 respectively.
“We tried in the first part, after the first climb, to go and break up the race,” Taffarel said, describing how the stage was won. “But then Massimo [Rosa] had a flat tyre and we had to chase back to the first group. Then on the last climb [with 15 kilometres to go] we tried to give our best and we managed to win the stage. We’re really happy with our performance.”
Equally happy with their performance on Stage 1 were the UCI Women’s race leaders, Wust and Van Doorn. The BUFF MEGAMO Women had established an early advantage and steadily grown it throughout the day. “We were a big group on the first climb, but then at the end of the climb we were alone and we said to ourselves, ‘okay we just try, we have nothing to lose,’” Wust stated.
“Or we could lose the leaders’ jerseys but we just went and because we never knew the gap we had to just push until the finish line.”
“There were some beautiful views today,” Van Doorn added. “I really enjoyed the stage; it was super rocky and you need to find a good flow on this course. But yes, it was super beautiful!”
Wust and Van Doorn’s 65 kilometre solo effort saw them win the stage by 3 minutes and 12 seconds over CANNONDALE ISB SPORT’s Monica Calderon and Meritxell Figueras. “The race was good for us, we started fast I think,” Figueras noted. “Towards the end of the first climb we found our rhythm andwe were able to ride well together from there. We hope that that continues tomorrow and that we’llbe able to do a better job of challenging for stage victory.”
Behind the top two teams a battle is developing for third position between the 8capital and Koba teams. The Slovakians, Janka Keseg Stevkova and Martina Krahulcova had spent much of the stage on their own on the trails until Daniela Höfler and Alessia Nay reeled them in, in the closing kilometres.
“At the end, today, the Koba ladies caught us; but we managed to hold them off in the sprint,” Keseg Stevkova said.
The day’s results mean that the BUFF MEGAMO Women lead CANNONDALE ISB SPORT by 3 minutes and 26 seconds on the general classification standings. 8capital and Koba may be a further 6 minutes back, but they are only separated by 10 seconds. Further down the time charts, in sixth overall,
Canyon Sidi Pure Humanpwr are refocusing their energies. “Tanja [Priller] was very sick last week and at one stage we didn’t know if we would be able to start,” Stefanie Walter explained. “The Prologue yesterday was not our day, and we hoped to have a better day today. But, considering how Tanja suffered last week we had a good day today. The weather is perfect, the trails are perfect and the other women are so nice. It’s different racing when you are more towards the back, but still, it’s good, good, racing. And we managed today, so I’m really proud of Tanja.”
The beauty and the adventure of 4Islands MTB Croatia continues on Stage 2 as the race island hops to Cres. The 84 kilometre long stage includes 1 880 metres of climbing and is the Queen Stage of the 2024 race. It also boasts the iconic ferry start in the Merag harbour, before taking on the goat trails along the spine of the island and finishing in the town of Cres.
2024 4Islands MTB Croatia
UCI Men’s Results | Stage 1:
1. Metallurgica Veneta MTB Pro Team 1: Nicola Taffarel & Massimo Rosa (2:46:50)
2. ORBEA Leatt Speed Company: Georg Egger & Lukas Baum (2:47:47 | +57)
3. Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty 2: Miguel Munoz & Luis Martínez (2:48:58 | +2:08)
4. Team Bulls Mavericks: Simon Schneller & Axel Roudil-Cortinat (2:49:55 | +3:05)
5. BUFF MEGAMO 1: Wout Alleman & Pablo Rodriguez Guede (2:49:55 | +3:05)
UCI Women’s Results | Stage 1:
1. BUFF MEGAMO Women: Janina Wust & Rosa van Doorn (3:26:32)
2. CANNONDALE ISB SPORT: Monica Calderon & Meritxell Figueras (3:29:44 | +3:12)
3. 8capital: Janka Keseg Stevkova & Martina Krahulcova (3:33:42| +7:10)
4. Koba: Daniela Höfler & Alessia Nay (3:33:43 | +7:11)
5. MenteCorpo Cicli Drigani Pro Team: Costanza Fasolis & Giulia Alberti (3:41:56 | +15:24)
UCI Men’s General Classification after Stage 1:
1. Metallurgica Veneta MTB Pro Team 1: Nicola Taffarel & Massimo Rosa (3:14:37)
2. ORBEA Leatt Speed Company: Georg Egger & Lukas Baum (3:15:13 | +36)
3. Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty 2: Miguel Munoz & Luis Martínez (3:16:50| +2:13)
4. BUFF MEGAMO 1: Wout Alleman & Pablo Rodriguez Guede (3:17:27 | +2:50)
5. BUFF MEGAMO 2: Hans Becking & José Dias (3:17:31 | +2:54)
UCI Women’s General Classification after Stage 1:
1. BUFF MEGAMO Women: Janina Wust & Rosa van Doorn (4:01:08)
2. CANNONDALE ISB SPORT: Monica Calderon & Meritxell Figueras (4:04:34 | +3:26)
3. 8capital: Janka Keseg Stevkova & Martina Krahulcova (4:09:32| +8:24)
4. Koba: Daniela Höfler & Alessia Nay (4:09:42 | +8:34)
5. MenteCorpo Cicli Drigani Pro Team: Costanza Fasolis & Giulia Alberti (4:18:12 | +17:04)
