Cycling competition helps promote the “unseen Algarve”
Some of the best cyclists in the world will be facing off at the 50th edition of the Volta ao Algarve, which will take place between February 14 and 18.
At the event’s official presentation event last week, the president of the Portuguese Cycling Federation (FPC) said that the event will boast its “best peloton ever”.
“It is the culmination of a project that started as a national race, has since gone international, and has established itself with a high-level peloton,” said Delmino Pereira.
The FPC boss highlighted that the race also helps promote parts of the Algarve that are rarely seen.
“This race dives into the Algarve mountains and discovers places that traditionally are not seen, filmed or appreciated. (…) By placing a colourful peloton racing in these places, with a lot of emotion, with champions attacking and others pursuing, we are promoting a territory and adding it to the excitement of sports. That’s why cycling around the world is increasingly used not only as a sports event but also as one of the best ways to promote the territory,” Pereira added, stating that the race should make the Algarve and the entire country proud.
“It has everything a cyclist enjoys and also has a growing audience,” he concluded.
The Volta ao Algarve’s five stages have already been announced, starting with the first which will be the longest and will see cyclists competing along a 200.8km route between Portimão and Lagos. The second stage (171.9km) will begin in Lagoa and end at the top of Fóia in Monchique, while the third (192.2km) will take place between Vila Real de Santo António and Tavira. The fourth stage will mark “the biggest innovation of the competition”: a 22.2km individual time trial between the Albufeira Marina and Albufeira Town Hall. The fifth and final 165.8km stage will begin in Faro, with the finish line at Alto do Malhão.
Two-time Volta ao Algarve champion Remco Evenepoel is among the favourites to win the title, although Delmino Pereira would prefer to see a Portuguese cyclist such as João Almeida or Rui Costa finish on top.
“The competitiveness is very high and what we want is for there to be emotion until the end, with no winner announced in advance,” the federation president said.
Last year’s Volta ao Algarve was won by Colombian rider Daniel Martínez (INEOS Grenadiers), who will also be participating this year, alongside other big names such as USA’s Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike), the Vuelta2023 winner; former Volta ao Algarve winner Geraint Thomas (INEOS), Belgium’s Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and UK’s Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek).
In addition to the 13 WorldTeam teams (the UCI’s top category), the highest number ever tied with the 2018 edition, three ProTeam formations and nine Portuguese continental teams are also participating in the Volta ao Algarve.
More information on the event can be found online at https://voltaaoalgarve.com/pt/inicio/
