Thursday was Foia day, Friday was the individual time trial effort, and this Saturday brings a stage that, at first glance, looks calmer in the Volta ao Algarve, more suited to sprinters. Perhaps, one might say, the speed before the storm.

The fourth day of the Algarve race starts in Albufeira, on Avenida dos Descobrimentos, and it is from there that the peloton sets off at 11:00 a.m. towards Lagos. The route covers a total of 175.1 kilometers and has some points of interest before the final meters.

Intermediate sprint, mountain points, and… hot spot

At kilometer 54, the fight for the Green Jersey – Crédito Agrícola, for points, heats up with the intermediate sprint in Lagos. About 30,000 meters later, in Nave, there is the only mountain classification of the day, third category.

The day will also have another hot spot, two bonus sprints in Alzejur, within a kilometer. The owner of the Yellow Jersey – Turismo do Algarve, Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek), for example, has taken advantage of these moments to gain an edge in the fight for the General Classification.

The final part of the race will be on a circuit, and the peloton will pass the finish line for the first time about 30 kilometers from the end, to test the waters. If everything goes according to plan, the finish will be a sprint, on a calmer day for the men in the General Classification.

1ª Etapa Vila Real de Santo António – Tavira 185,6Km, 18.02.2026 da 52ª Volta ao Algarve, de 18 a 22 de Fevereiro de 2026 Foto: Rodrigo Rodrigues / FPC

Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) won in Tavira and will be one of the strong contenders to repeat his triumph this Saturday afternoon, most likely facing stiff competition from several of the sprinters present in the Algarve, with Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin Premier-Tech standing out in particular.

The fourth stage of the Volta ao Algarve starts at 11:00 a.m. You can follow the race here.