In the pouring rain, Milan, 21, beat his two compatriots Sacha Modolo (Bardiani-CSF) and Mirco Maestri (EOLO-Kometa), after a final marked by the offensive of Slovenian Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious ), finally taken back 300 meters from the line.
Absent from a professional race since July 24 and his triumph on the Champs-Elysées during the last stage of the Tour de France, the Dane Jonas Vingegaard, 25, was at ease on the hilly roads of the Balkans, following the various attacks in the final to rank 17th in the same time as Milan.
However, he did not manage to get out of a peloton reduced to a bare minimum at the top of the Ludbreski Vinogradi climb (3.2 km at 3.9%).
Another star to recover in Croatia, the Briton Geraint Thomas, third in the last Grande Boucle behind Vingegaard and the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, finished in an anecdotal 94th place at 1 min 19 from the winner.
On Wednesday, the second stage, 163 kilometers long, will connect Otocac to Zadar.
© 2022 AFP