Like in recent editions, the Volta ao Algarve started on Wednesday with a first stage leading to Lagos for a probable bunch sprint. On a quite easy day, although marked by a crash involving Valentin Madouas, the planned scenario did occur. Gerben Thijssen took the win while Marc Sarreau placed fourteenth without really being able to do his sprint. The punchers and climbers are expected from tomorrow on the Alto da Fóia.
Quite a substantial foretaste was on the menu for the Volta ao Algarve riders on Wednesday. Two hundred kilometers made up the first stage of the race, from Portimāo to Lagos, on slightly hilly terrain. “We knew the route quite well, and the scenario is very often the same,” said Frédéric Guesdon. “We therefore went for a possible sprint with Marc.” The Groupama-FDJ team therefore relied on Marc Sarreau for this opening day, but also welcomed Stefan Küng, as the Swiss man returned to competition after five months without a bib on his back. Unsurprisingly, a breakaway mainly made of Portuguese teams led the race, with Fábio Costa (ABTF Betão-Feirense), Diogo Narciso (Credibom-LA Alumínios), Noah Campos (Kelly-Simoldes-UDO), César Fonte (Rádio Popular-Boavista), Gonçalo Amado (Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua), Tomas Contte (Aviludo-Louletano), but also Tobias Bayer (Alpecin-Deceuninck). Their gap, however, never exceeded four minutes, and Tobias Bayer, the last man standing, was caught with twenty kilometres to go. The bunch sprint never was threatened.
“It was rather hectic”, Frédéric Guesdon
A few minutes before it all came back together, however, the peloton split into several pieces following a collision. “The final was quite technical, we had to be careful on certain sections and it was nervous with the wind,” added Frédéric. “Unfortunately, Valentin was caught in a crash and that was the day’s small negative point. He suffered a small impact on his thigh, which doesn’t seem too serious, but it’s always annoying to crash.” After chasing for a few minutes, the French champion managed to catch the peloton, which kind of slowed down until the last five kilometres. Given the headwind in the final, the sprint preparation began quite late. “It was rather hectic, and it wasn’t easy to organize,” Frédéric said. “Lewis and Marc did their best, but it didn’t work out the way we wanted. It all really started with two kilometres to go, on a slight uphill road. They were a bit far back when the action started, and it was then complicated to pass everyone. We hoped for better.” Marc Sarreau finally crossed the line in fourteenth position, without being able to properly sprint.
Gerben Thijssen took the win but will have to give up the leader’s jersey tomorrow at the Alto de Foia (7.5 km at 6%). “This is the first test for the overall,” confirmed Frédéric. “Punchers and climbers will try to make the biggest possible gap on the time trialists, but it is a very steady climb, and we should have wind. There should be a front wind throughout the first part of the climb, and a side wind in the last two kilometers, a bit like last year. This is where it might split.” In this same climb, Valentin Madouas took fourth place in 2023.
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