The 50th edition of the Volta ao Algarve, from 14 to 18 February, promises to be an unforgettable spectacle, bringing together 13 WorldTeams and many of the best cyclists in the world peloton, including 23 men in the world’s top 100.

The entry list of 174 riders includes grand tour winners, Olympic, World and European champions, stage race specialists, sprinters, climbers and time trialists.

Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) has several of the characteristics mentioned above. The winner of the Volta ao Algarve in 2020 and 2022 arrives at the Portuguese as number four in the world ranking and with a CV full of success. He won the Vuelta in 2022, is the reigning world time trial champion, was road race world champion in 2022, won the last two editions of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège monument and was European time trial champion in 2018.

The peloton for the 50th Volta ao Algarve will include three other cyclists who have already won grand tours and who are naturally candidates to win the Portuguese race. Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) could win a third time in the Algarve, having won in 2015 and 2016, before building up a track record in grand tours: he won the 2018 Tour, was second in 2019 and third in 2022, and was second in the 2023 Giro. Sepp Kuss (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) won the Vuelta in 2023 and Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek) won the Giro in 2020

But the competition for those riders will be strong. First and foremost is Colombian rider Daniel Felipe Martínez, winner of the 2023 Volta ao Algarve for INEOS Grenadiers, who will defend his title with BORA-hansgrohe in 2024. But there will be other stage race specialists, such as João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates), Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step), Ben Healy and Rui Costa (EF Education-EasyPost), Thymen Arensaman (INEOS Grenadiers) and Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility).

The time trial always has a strong influence on the final classification of the Volta ao Algarve and the 22 kilometres to be raced in Albufeira will be no exception. Not least because some of the best specialists in the international peloton will be on the start line. As well as the aforementioned Remco Evenepoel, world champion in the discipline, another Belgian stands out, Wout van Aert, who, in addition to his power in the individual time trial, can sprint with the fastest riders and competently pass the medium mountains, which will make him a serious contender for the yellow jersey in the Volta ao Algarve.

Also worthy of attention are the Swiss Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-EasyPost), European champion in 2022, and Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), European champion in 2021 and winner of the time trial at the Volta ao Algarve in 2019 and 2023. Italian Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers), world champion in 2020 and 2021 and second overall in last year’s Volta ao Algarve, has also been registered and promises to be a contender for the time trial and the yellow jersey.

Strong emotions are also expected in the sprint stages, as the protagonists will be of a high calibre. Among the sprinters present are the second active rider with the most career victories, Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling), winner of stages in the Giro and the Vuelta in 2023, Jordi Meeus (BORA-hansgrohe), first on the Champs-Elysees in the 2023 Tour, Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty), Marc Sarreau (Groupama-FDJ), Casper van Uden (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL), Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility), Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) and Edward Theuns (Lidl-Trek).

The list of Portuguese present is also robust. In addition to the aforementioned João Almeida and Rui Costa, António Morgado (UAE Team Emirates), whose main mission will be to work for the team, but who is a candidate for the title of best young rider, Iúri Leitão (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates), who are in a position to meddle in the sprint finishes.

The Portuguese professional peloton, reinforced in 2024 with riders coming directly from WorldTeams and ProTeams, will also be there, motivated and in force, looking to make a name for themselves and fight for sporting goals against the best teams in the international peloton.

Participating Teams
WorldTeams: Alpecin-Deceuninck (Belgium), Arkea-B&B Hotels (France), Astana Qazaqstan Team (Kazakhstan), BORA-hansgrohe (Germany), EF Education-EasyPost (USA), Groupama-FDJ (France), INEOS Grenadiers (UK), Intermarché-Wanty (Belgium), Lidl-Trek (USA), Soudal Quick-Step (Belgium), Team dsm-firmenich PostNL (Netherlands), Team Visma | Lease a Bike (Netherlands) and UAE Team Emirates (United Arab Emirates).
ProTeams: Caja Rural-Seguros RGA (Spain), Tudor Pro Cycling (Switzerland) and Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (Norway).
Continental teams: ABTF Betão-Feirense (Portugal), AP Hotels & Resorts-Tavira-SC Farense (Portugal), Aviludo-Louletano-Loulé Concelho (Portugal), Credibom-LA Alumínios-Marcos Car (Portugal), Efapel Cycling (Portugal), Kelly-Simoldes-UDO (Portugal), Rádio Popular-Paredes-Boavista (Portugal), Sabgal-Anicolor (Portugal) and Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua (Portugal).

Route
The Volta ao Algarve’s route retains the characteristics that make it appealing for the time of year in which it takes place, offering opportunities for sprinters, climbers and time trialists, as well as the chance for teams to prepare, in a high-level competition, the automatisms that could lead them to success over the course of the season.

Portimão hosts the start of the competition, where the teams will be presented and the 200.8 kilometres that will take the caravan to Lagos will begin, where a sprint finish is expected. The second stage starts from Lagoa and arrives, after 171.9 kilometres, at the top of Fóia. The final of the stage, which passes over the steep Pomba climb and with a bonus sprint just after Monchique and in the middle of the climb to the finish line, promises to be hectic.

The sprinters should have another chance on the third stage, 192.2 kilometres between Vila Real de Santo António and Tavira, in a one-day tour of the eastern end of the Algarve’s “Sotavento” and the Guadiana landscape.

The great novelty of the 50th edition comes on the fourth day. It’s an unprecedented 22-kilometre time trial, starting at the Albufeira Marina and finishing next to the city’s Town Hall. The race finishes with the long-awaited final stage at the top of Malhão. This time it will be 165.8 kilometres, starting in Faro.

Stages
14/02/2024 – 1st Stage: Portimão – Lagos, 200.8 km
15/02/2024 – 2nd Stage: Lagoa – Alto da Fóia, 171.9 km
16/02/2024 – 3rd Stage: Vila Real de Santo António – Tavira, 192.3 km
17/02/2024 – 4th Stage: Albufeira – Albufeira, 22 km (ITT)
18/02/2024 – 5th Stage: Faro – Alto do Malhão, 165.8 km

Cycling for All
In addition to the thousands of fans who travel from all over Portugal and the world to watch the stages, the Volta ao Algarve programme also includes two cycling events for all, allowing amateur cyclists and bike enthusiasts to take an active part in the Algarve’s cycling festival.

On the February 17th, Albufeira will host the Algarve Granfondo, giving participants the chance to choose between two challenges, the 133 kilometres of the granfondo and the 80 kilometres of the mediofondo. In addition to the physical activity and socialising, they will also be able to watch the international stars pedalling, who will be in Albufeira on the same day for the time trial.

On the 18th it will be the turn of the unprecedented Algarve Crono Challenge, with a speed-controlled start in Salir and a timed ascent to Alto do Malhão, in the municipality of Loulé.

More than a thousand participants are expected in the two cycling for all events.