Portimão is once again the starting point for another edition of the Volta ao Algarve. The riverside area will host the presentation of the teams and the beginning of 199.1 kilometers of racing, that will end in Lagos, another traditional city and always with an exciting sprint finish.

To know the first leader of the mountain – Lusíadas blue jersey -, there will be two climbs: a fourth category at 39.1 kilometers, in Aldeia dos Matos and a third category in Nave, at 97.8. The intermediate sprints that will count for the green Credit Agrícola jersey – are placed in S.B. Messines (54.6), Aljezur (128.3) and Vila do Bispo (162.7).

The second longest stage of the 48th edition will end at Avenida dos Descobrimentos, where Fabio Jakobsen has already won twice, in 2019 and 2020 and is the only one of the sprinters in the race this year to celebrate in Lagos. It is expected that the fast men’s teams will not let any breakout triumph and the sprint will decide the winner and the first Turismo do Algarve yellow jersey, and the youth leader, IPDJ white jersey, will also be met.

Jakobsen (Quick-Step Alpha Vynil) will have a strong competition: Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), Alexander Kristoff (Intermarchá-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) and Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix).

The city’s sprint history includes winnig riders such as Fernando Gaviria, Dylan Groenewegen, John Degenkolb, André Greipel and, going back a little further, Alessandro Petacchi and Bernhard Eisel.

The arrival is scheduled between 17:00 and 17:30, with the symbolic departure in Portimão at 12:15.