For Vingegaard, the CRO Race serves as solid preparation for Il Lombardia. The Danish Tour winner will act as the leader there because Primoz Roglic will no longer race this season after his crash in the Vuelta.

“After the Tour, I took the time to rest well”, Vingegaard says. “The ceremony on the square in Copenhagen was overwhelming. After that, my family and I returned to Denmark. I have spent the last few weeks in Spain preparing for the remaining races. Hopefully, I will be in good shape in Croatia. I will find out this week.”

Last year, Team Jumbo-Visma won three stages in the Croatian race with Olav Kooij and Tim van Dijke. Vingegaard is optimistic that the Dutch squad will also succeed in this year’s edition. “We are here with a strong team and it is a nice course. Unfortunately, there is no uphill finish as I would have preferred. There are enough hills and mountains to make it a great week. We are happy to be here and will contribute our very best.”

Vader will also make his long-awaited return to competition in Croatia. In April, during the fifth stage of the Itzulia Basque Country, things went completely wrong for the Dutchman. Most people had not anticipated Vader racing again this year because of his severe injuries. “The doctors in Bilbao said they would be happy if I were back on my bike within six months. I believed it ought to happen sooner. And here I am. For me, it will be a fantastic race. It feels like a second chance. I have been able to train very well over the last few weeks. I haven’t yet reached my pre-crash level, but I’m looking forward to the race. I want to enjoy it and hopefully contribute to a good team result.”