Another dramatic day at the 4Islands MTB Croatia saw the Metallurgica Veneta MTB Pro Team 1 extend their general classification lead; after a crash for BUFF MEGAMO 1’s Pablo Rodriguez Guede and stomach cramps for Lukas Baum, of ORBEA Leatt Speed Company. Three days into the 2024 event Nicola Taffarel and Massimo Rosa’s advantage is 3 minutes and 40 seconds over the Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty 2 team. BUFF MEGAMO’s women’s team, Janina Wust and Rosa van Doorn, enjoyed another trouble-free day, on Stage 2, despite being pushed deeper into the course by their nearest rivals, CANNONDALE ISB SPORT, than on the two previous days.  

-   

The Queen Stage of the 2024 4Islands MTB Croatia served up more excitement and drama on the island of Cres; on Thursday, 18 April. A crash for BUFF MEGAMO 1’s Pablo Rodriguez Guede effectively ended the Spanish team’s aspirations of victory, while ORBEA Leatt Speed Company’s Lukas Baum struggled with stomach cramps. Once again Nicola Taffarel and Massimo Rosa were the team best placed to capitalise. The Metallurgica Veneta MTB Pro Team 1 added a further 1 minute and 27 seconds to their general classification lead on the day. In the UCI Women’s race the cool confidence of Janina Wust and Rosa van Doorn prevailed for a third stage in a row, as the BUFF MEGAMO Women added a further 1 minutes and 52 seconds to their overall advantage.  

A hilly course, from Merag to the town of Cres, created the terrain for thrilling racing once more, on Stage 2. Featuring 84 kilometres of racing and 1 880 metres of climbing the day was not only the longest on paper but should also prove to be the toughest on the legs of the riders, of the 2024 race. It started with mountain biking’s only start from the sea, when the teams rolled off the ferry to get the stage underway. There was climbing from the off and hardly a flat metre throughout the course, though there was also exceptional beauty on display too.  

ORBEA Leatt Speed Company were the first to attack on the Queen Stage. Having started the day in second position, 37 seconds behind the leaders, Baum and Georg Egger were eager to regain yellow. “It was an up and down day for us,” Baum explained. “The first hour was quite good and we tried to create a gap.”  

 

The Prologue winners managed to eke out a 20 second advantage over a three-team chasing group consisting of the two BUFF MEGAMO teams and the Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty 2 combination. Yet they were unable to distance the men in the yellow CIOVITA jerseys and soon Baum began to falter. “Then I began to experience the same stomach problems I had at the Absa Cape Epic,” he confessed. “I was suffering for 2 hours and I wasn’t even sure if I could finish the stage, to be honest. But towards the end I got better and I think we managed to limit our time losses a bit. Though I don’t know how much time we lost to the leaders, but tomorrow is another day.”  

 

Once the ORBEA Leatt Speed Company pairing’s attack faded the groups came back together and BUFF MEGAMO 2 took on the pace making duties. “As a team we tried to push really hard to do some damage in the overall, but then it went sideways and I got dropped,” Hans Becking recounted. “I pushed very hard with José [Dias] to create a gap for Wout [Alleman] and Pablo Rodriguez Guede. But then there was an accident in the front which ruined the BUFF MEGAMO squad’s race, a little bit. We [Dias and Becking] may have finished third today, but it’s not really meaningful because we are here to fight for Wout and Pablo. After Pablo’s crash we’ll have to see what happens over the next two days.”  

 

Having marked every move in the first 70 kilometres of the stage, the Metallurgica Veneta MTB Pro Team 1 were under pressure but not cracking heading into the finale. Rounding a pinch point on a road, leading into the third and final aid station, Pablo Rodriguez Guede collided with Luis Martínez, of Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty 2. The BUFF MEGAMO 1 man went down hard and was slow to rise, he and Alleman limped home 6 minutes and 43 seconds behind the stage winners. It remains to be seen if Rodriguez Guede will be fit to start Stage 3, on Friday.  

 

Taffarel and Rosa’s focus and a measure of good fortune kept them out of trouble and for the second day in a row they were able to romp home to victory. “This is unexpected,” Taffarel smiled. “From the first kilometre we tried to stay in the first group and keep the race under control. We managed to stay in the first group throughout the stage and then from the last feed zone we tried to go all-out. I think we rode another good stage and we’re very, very, happy.”  

 

As a result of their Stage 2 success, Metallurgica Veneta MTB Pro Team 1 now lead Martínez and Miguel Munoz, of Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty 2, by 3 minutes and 40 seconds. ORBEA Leatt Speed Company are third at 4 minutes and 44 seconds back. BUFF MEGAMO 2 moved up to fourth, while Alleman and Rodriguez Guede end the day in fifth, 9:33 down.  

 

In the UCI Women’s race the BUFF MEGAMO Women rode the trouble-free stage their men’s teams had hoped for. For the third straight stage Wust and Van Doorn added to their overall lead, though Stage 2 was the hardest fought of the 4Islands MTB Croatia thus far, for the women in orange. Monica Calderon and Meritxell Figueras shadowed the leaders for the first 45 kilometres of the 84 kilometre course.  

 

“The first hour was super hard, everyone wanted to show her power,” Wurst noted. “We were together with CANNONDALE [ISB SPORT] until 45 kilometres into the stage and then we attacked and managed to get away alone. But it was hard out there, with the wind and all the stones! I’m really happy to get the win today.”  

“Like Janina [Wurst] said, the route was so hard today,” Van Doorn added. “There were so many stones and you had to push all the time, even on the downhills! So, I’m super happy we won.”  

 

“We were able to stay with BUFF MEGAMO until, near the second aid station probably 45 kilometres into the course, Txell [Figueras] got caught up in a rocky singletrack,” Calderon said. “Txell was at the back of the line and as soon as she lost the wheel BUFF MEGAMO attacked. We tried to chase them but, in the wind, we were never able to close that gap again. That said, we worked really well together, we’re really happy with today’s performance, and we’re looking forward to another great day tomorrow.”  

 

Behind the top two teams the 8capital squad established a buffer to the Koba team on the Queen Stage. Janka Keseg Stevkova and Martina Krahulcova rode much of the stage solo, as did Daniela Höfler and Alessia Nay behind them, but were nonetheless able to gain 7 minutes on their rivals for third. Thus, heading into Stage 3, BUFF MEGAMO lead CANNONDALE ISB SPORT by 5 minutes and 18 seconds. 8capital are 13:42 back in third.  

 

Stage 3 takes teams to the island of Lošinj where a compact 39 kilometre stage awaits. The action-packed route includes 900 metres of climbing coming largely in two steep climbs over the spine of the island past the church of St. Ivan. Fast and flat runs, along the coast, from- and back- to Mali Lošinj make the day unique in the 4Islands MTB Croatia experience, as the stage is the only one with a significant amount of level kilometres.  

 

To share in the action follow @4islandsmtb on Instagram or like the 4Islands MTB Facebook page. Tune in for daily highlight videos on the Epic Series YouTube channel, or find more by visiting www.epic-series.com/4islands. 

 

 2024 4Islands MTB Croatia

UCI Men’s Results | Stage 2:

1.     Metallurgica Veneta MTB Pro Team 1: Nicola Taffarel & Massimo Rosa (3:16:37) 

2.     Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty 2: Miguel Munoz & Luis Martínez (3:18:04 | +1:27)   

3.     BUFF MEGAMO 2: Hans Becking & José Dias (3:20:19 | +3:42)

4.     ORBEA Leatt Speed Company: Georg Egger & Lukas Baum (3:20:45 | +4:08)

5.     Metallurgica Veneta MTB Pro Team 2: Ole Hem & Jacopo Billi (3:20:47 | +4:10)

 

UCI Women’s Results | Stage 2:

1.     BUFF MEGAMO Women : Janina Wust & Rosa van Doorn (4:06:18)          

2.     CANNONDALE ISB SPORT: Monica Calderon & Meritxell Figueras (4:08:10 | +1:52)

3.     8capital: Janka Keseg Stevkova & Martina Krahulcova (4:11:36 | +5:18) 

4.     Koba: Daniela Höfler & Alessia Nay (4:18:39 | +12:21)

5.     MenteCorpo Cicli Drigani Pro Team: Costanza Fasolis & Giulia Alberti (4:24:51 | +18:33)

 

UCI Men’s General Classification after Stage 2:

1.     Metallurgica Veneta MTB Pro Team 1: Nicola Taffarel & Massimo Rosa (6:31:14) 

2.     Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty 2: Miguel Munoz & Luis Martínez (6:34:54| +3:40)

3.     ORBEA Leatt Speed Company: Georg Egger & Lukas Baum (6:35:58 | +4:44)

4.     BUFF MEGAMO 2: Hans Becking & José Dias (6:37:50 | +6:36)

5.     BUFF MEGAMO 1: Wout Alleman & Pablo Rodriguez Guede (6:40:47 | +9:33)

 

UCI Women’s General Classification after Stage 2:

1.     BUFF MEGAMO Women : Janina Wust & Rosa van Doorn (8:07:26)          

2.     CANNONDALE ISB SPORT: Monica Calderon & Meritxell Figueras (8:12:44 | +5:18)

3.     8capital: Janka Keseg Stevkova & Martina Krahulcova (8:21:08| +13:42) 

4.     Koba: Daniela Höfler & Alessia Nay (8:28:21 | +20:55)

5.     MenteCorpo Cicli Drigani Pro Team: Costanza Fasolis & Giulia Alberti (8:43:03 | +20:55)

 

To view the full results from the 2024 4Islands MTB Croatia click here.