It’s the day to start defining the favorites to win the Yellow Jersey Turismo do Algarve, owned by Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty) after the win in Lagos. The second stage of Volta ao Algarve ends in Alto da Fóia and there is no shortage of candidates, with two looking to make a little more history in Volta ao Algarve: Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) and Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) are looking for a third victory overall, something only achieved by one cyclist in 49 editions.
But the competition will be very strong, with Daniel Felipe Martínez (BORA-hansgrohe), winner of the Volta ao Algarve in 2023, topping the list. Evenepoel knows how to win in Fóia. He did so in 2020, having later won the race, the first of two editions.
The second stage will start in Lagoa (12:00), with 171,9 kilometers whose difficulty will increase as riders get closer to Serra de Monchique. In addition to defining who will be in the fight for the overall, the mountain classification – Blue Jersey Água é Vida – will also be at stake, as in addition to the first category climb that coincides with the finish line, they must first face Alferce (third category) and Pomba (second), both less than 30 kilometers from the end. An important sequence of climbs for those who aspire to fight for the Blue Jersey Água é Vida, the leader of the mountain classification.
At 77,7 there will be a fourth category climb in Alto da Choça. Monchique will have the only intermediate sprint of the day, when the climb to Fóia already began.
If Evenepoel and Thomas are looking to equal the feat of the Portuguese rider Belmiro Silva (1977, 1981 and 1984), Sepp Kuss (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – winner of the last Vuelta a España -, Sergio Higuita (BORA- hansgrohe) and Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek) – the latter returning to the competition after a long absence, as he hasn’t competed since last year’s Giro – are names to follow.
But we must pay attention to Thomas Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) and Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) who are cyclists who adapt to all types of terrain, without forgetting the new rising star of UAE Team Emirates, the Mexican Isaac del Toro. And of course the 2013 world champion, Rui Costa (EF Education-EasyPost) will also want to challenge for the win, has does his teamate Ben Healy.