The 43rd Volta ao Algarve (15-19 February) will be broadcasted in 55 countries and 68M homes. The Cycling lovers from all over the Europe will see some of the most importants stars of the sport fighting for the glory on the roads of Algarve, South of Portugal.
The race will be live broadcasted by Eurosport. Every day the last hour of race can be watched from 5:00 to 6:00 pm (CET). The firs stage, 182,9 Km from Albufeira to Lagos is expected to be the first battle between the sprinters. And the Volta ao Algarve will have some of the best sprinters of the World, men capable to win stages in any race across the globe: André Greipel (Lotto Soudal), Arnaud Démare (FDJ), Dylan Groenewegen (Team Lotto NL-Jumbo), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Dimension Data), Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors), Giacomo Nizzolo, Jasper Stuyven, John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) and Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis).
The second stage will leave from Lagoa to arrive 189,3 km later at the top of Fóia, the highest point of Algarve, at 900 meters from the sea level. The climbers and the cyclists that want the final yellow jersey should be in the first places. Is the case of Alexander Foliforov (Gazprom-RusVelo), Andrey Amador (Movistar), Daniel Martin (Quick-Step Floors), Luis León Sánchez (Astana), Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky), Primoz Roglic (Team Lotto NL-Jumbo), Stephen Cummings (Team Dimension Data), Tony Gallopin (Lotto Soudal) or Tony Martin (Team Katusha Alpecin).
The third stage is an individual time trial, 18 km around Sagres. The time trial World Chanpion, Tony Martin, and the European Champion, Jonathan Castroviejo (Movistar Team), are on the top of bets for the stage win, but they will have strong rivals, between them six time trial national champions: Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Dimension Data), Ignatas Konovalovas (FDJ), Primoz Roglic (Team Lotto NL-Jumbo), Sergei Chernetskii (Astana) and Taylor Phinney (Cannondale Drapac).
The sprinters will have the second and last chance to shine on the fourth stage, 203,4 km from Almodôvar to Tavira. The race will end with 179,2 km from Loulé to the top of Malhão, a short but steeper climb.
The Volta ao Algarve is also an opportunity to the Portuguese fans see the Portuguese cyclists that represent foreign teams. In 2017 edition will be in Algarve, some of them fighting for the first positions, José Gonçalves and Tiago Machado (Team Katusha Alpecin), José Mendes (Bora-hansgrohe), Nelson Oliveira and Nuno Bico (Movistar), Rafael Reis (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Ricardo Vilela (Manzan Postobón) and Rúben Guerreiro (Trek-Segafredo).
Official Classificantions
Overall – Yellow Jersey Turismo do Algarve
Points – Red Jersey Cofidis
Mountain – Blue Jersey Liberty Seguros
Youth – White Jersey Sicasal
Numbers of the 43rd Volta ao Algarve
5 stages
772,8 Km
25 teams, 12 from WorldTour
200 cyclists
27 countries represented on the peloton
22 World top 100 cyclists
1 Time Trial World Champion
1 Time Trial European Champion
11 National Road and Time Trial Champions
2 former winners of the race, Michal Kwiatkowski and Tony Martin
Teams
WorldTour: Astana (KAZ), Bora-hansgrohe (GER), Cannondale-Drapac (USA), Dimension Data (RSA), FDJ (FRA), Katusha-Alpecin (SUI), Lotto NL-Jumbo (NED), Lotto Soudal (BEL), Movistar (ESP), Quick-Step Floors (BEL), Team Sky (GBR) and Trek-Segafredo (USA).
Continental Professional: Caja Rural-Seguros RGA (ESP), Cofidis (FRA), Gazprom-RusVelo (RUS), Manzana Postobón (COL), Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij (NED) and Wanty-Groupe Gobert (BEL)
Continental: Efapel, LA-Metalusa BlackJack, Louletano-Hospital de Loulé, RP-Boavista, Sporting-Tavira and W52-FC Porto (POR), and Rally Cycling (EUA)