National Championships - RR
Croatia, Bulgaria, Finland, Slovakia, Sweden
Welcome to the first mixed championship of the year, the first of three flat ones. It’s one of the bigger races and combines Northern and Easter European countries.
Manninen, Bertilsson and Frankovic are the big favorites in their respective countries. Baska is clearly the best Slovak sprinter, but he does have decent competition in Sagan and Mahdar. Robov is the top favorite in Bulgaria, even if he’s not a sprinter by trade.
Startlist
Spoiler
BUL
Robov
Momchil
BWT Hyundai N Cycling
BUL
Lilovski
Dobrin
BWT Hyundai N Cycling
BUL
Stoenchev
Valentin
BWT Hyundai N Cycling
BUL
Ivanov
Borislav
Minions
BUL
Papanov
Martin
Team Popo4Ever p/b Nemiroff
BUL
Kolev
Iliyan
Trans Looney Tunes
CRO
Frankovic
Mateo
Aker - MOT
CRO
Mestric
Matija
Cedevita
CRO
Potocki
Pavel
HelloFresh
CRO
Potocki
Viktor
Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo PCTeam
FIN
Kaislavuo
Jesse
Aker - MOT
FIN
Juntunen
Antti-Jussi
Carlsberg - Danske Bank
FIN
Kulppi
Olli
Carlsberg - Danske Bank
FIN
Manninen
Matti
Los Pollos Hermanos
FIN
Henttala
Joonas
Philips - Force India
FIN
Kanerva
Joni
Team Tinkoff - La Datcha
SVK
Stocek
Matus
Carlsberg - Danske Bank
SVK
Vysna
Matej
Cedevita
SVK
Baska
Erik
ISA - Hexacta
SVK
Sagan
Peter
Moser - Sygic
SVK
Kolar
Michael
Moser - Sygic
SVK
Mahdar
Martin
Tafjord Kraft
SWD
Anderberg
Hampus
Aker - MOT
SWD
Ludvigsson
Fredrik
BWT Hyundai N Cycling
SWD
Forssell
Hugo
Carlsberg - Danske Bank
SWD
Bertilsson
Christian
Moser - Sygic
Kaislavuo and Anderberg have to avoid a sprint finish if they want to have a chance at the title, so they attack with just over 3 kilometers to go. Robov, as mentioned before, is the quickest Bulgarian, but he joins them anyway. No team has more than two pro riders, can anyone mount a chase? The sprint is about to start, too.
Onto the finishing straight, the trio has around 20 seconds on the peloton, where many of the top sprinters are still quite a few positions behind the front. Looking good for the attackers.
Those first two rows of riders are mostly amateurs, but Mestric is very close to the front, trying to sneak away from Frankovic at the bottom of the screen. Ahead of the Aker rider, we find Baska and Sagan, who will likely duke it out for the Slovakian title. Any Bulgarians, Fins or Swedes have to hurry to still have a shot to compete against the breakaway.
But while the pack is getting closer, reducing the gap to just 16 seconds, there are only 500 meters left!
In the two other championships that are contested from the peloton, Frankovic has made his way to the front on the far left and is looking very well. Baska is to his right, Sagan still close behind.
In the end, it’s actually really close again! Bertilsson almost manages to catch up to Anderberg, but the Aker rider stays ahead, giving his team not one, not two but three titles in this race, as Kaislavuo resists the late charge by Manninen and Frankovic easily takes the Croatian title.
Baska ultimately has no issue beating Sagan, and Robov wins the whole race and thus takes home the Bulgarian title.
Result
1
Momchil Robov
BWT Hyundai N Cycling
1h23'55
2
Jesse Kaislavuo
Aker - MOT
s.t.
3
Hampus Anderberg
Aker - MOT
s.t.
4
Christian Bertilsson
Moser - Sygic
s.t.
5
Mateo Frankovic
Aker - MOT
s.t.
6
Matti Manninen
Los Pollos Hermanos
s.t.
7
Antti-Jussi Juntunen
Carlsberg - Danske Bank
s.t.
8
Erik Baska
ISA - Hexacta
s.t.
9
Peter Sagan
Moser - Sygic
s.t.
10
Fredrik Ludvigsson
BWT Hyundai N Cycling
s.t.
11
Matus Stocek
Carlsberg - Danske Bank
s.t.
12
Iliyan Kolev
Trans Looney Tunes
s.t.
13
Viktor Potocki
Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo PCTeam
s.t.
14
Hugo Forssell
Carlsberg - Danske Bank
s.t.
15
Matija Mestric
Cedevita
s.t.
16
Martin Papanov
Team Popo4Ever p/b Nemiroff
s.t.
17
Joni Kanerva
Team Tinkoff
s.t.
18
Borislav Ivanov
Minions
s.t.
19
Martin Mahdar
Tafjord Kraft
s.t.
20
Pavel Potocki
HelloFresh
s.t.
21
Joonas Henttala
Philips - Force India
s.t.
22
Matej Vysna
Cedevita
s.t.
23
Valentin Stoenchev
BWT Hyundai N Cycling
s.t.
24
Dobrin Lilovski
BWT Hyundai N Cycling
s.t.
25
Michael Kolar
Moser - Sygic
s.t.
26
Olli Kulppi
Carlsberg - Danske Bank
s.t.
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National Championships - ITT
Croatia, Bulgaria, Finland, Slovakia, Sweden
Most titles seem to be a given. Anderberg, Stoenchev, Henttala and Potocki should take the win with relative ease. Only the Slovakian title might be a bit closer, it’s again a duel between Baska and Sagan, but now the latter is favored.
Baska tries his best, but at the second intermediate sprint, he’s behind Sagan by 18 seconds.
At the line, Sagan extends that gap to 26 seconds - he’s the new TT champion!
Kanerva gives it his all to make the Finnish championship competitive. But it’s not enough, he’s only the third best finisher of his country behind Manninen.
Then come the other champions. As expected, Potocki takes home the Croatian title, he beats Mestric by over a minute.
Henttala actually gets overtaken by Anderberg, but it’s still enough to easily distance Manninen. The Aker rider meanwhile becomes the only double champion of this competition.
Finally, Stoenchev easily defends the Bulgarian crown, it’s by far the biggest intra country victory margin. He beats Lilovski by 4’36.
