CYCLING – TEAM Bahrain Victorious finished the 11th edition of CRO Race with Antonio Tiberi second overall and winner of the King of the Mountains (KOM) classification, closing a demanding six-stage race just four seconds behind overall winner Tobias Svarre.
Tiberi’s general classification (GC) campaign was built around his standout performance on stage three to Labin, where he attacked on the decisive Skitaca climb, took maximum KOM points and finished second.
He then defended his position through the remaining stages, including another successful attack for the KOM points on Plesivica to secure the green jersey.
The result continues Bahrain Victorious’ remarkable consistency at CRO Race. Second overall was the team’s third consecutive GC podium, with Edoardo Zambanini finishing as runner-up in 2025 and Fred Wright taking third and Zambanini fourth in 2024.
It also added another chapter to a race where Bahrain Victorious have repeatedly played a leading role, from Jonathan Milan’s opening-stage win and Matej Mohoric’s overall victory in 2022, to Mohoric’s memorable queen-stage victory in Labin in 2023.
For Tiberi, the second-place finish represents another strong GC result in a race where the team arrived specifically targeting the overall classification. The Italian showed his climbing strength and willingness to race aggressively rather than simply defend, while the team repeatedly controlled the race and positioned him for the decisive moments.
Ultimately, the four-second gap to Svarre meant the overall victory was just out of reach, but second overall and the green jersey gave the kingdom’s another strong finish in a race that has become one of the team’s most consistent late-season stages.
“I’m happy with this second place in the GC and, of course, with winning the green KOM jersey,” said Tiberi. “On the penultimate stage, there was still a chance to try to change the overall standings, so I wanted to give it a go on the climb to Plesivica. I attacked there, but Svarre responded well and was able to stay with me, so in the end the GC positions remained unchanged.
“Overall, I’m very happy, especially with the condition I showed throughout the race. Every day I was able to stay in contention and fight for the important positions, which is a very positive sign for me. I’m feeling very well at the moment and that gives me confidence going into the final races of the season. Now I just want to keep this momentum and finish the season in the best possible way.”
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