Crazy stage of the Volta a Portugal won by Francisco Penuela with a powerful and impressive sprint

After a stage that ended in Boticas yesterday, where we saw an excellent day's cycling, today the peloton faced a 160.4 km stage linking Felgueiras to Paredes at the 2024 Volta a Portugal. In the end, victory went to Francisco Penuela.

The 7th stage of the Volta a Portugal got off to a flying start and the cyclists soon reached Marco de Canavezes, where the first finish line of the day was set up, where German Tivani of Aviludo-Louletano-Loulé Concelho took first place, followed by Xavier Canellas of Euskatel- Euskadi and Joan Bou also of Euskatel- Euskadi. Numerous escape attempts are made again, but the peloton continues to move at a crazy speed and doesn't allow any of them to succeed. The first hour of the race is run at an average of 47 km/h.

The first 3rd category mountain prize of the day in S. Sebastião de Penha Longa was won by Luis Angel Mate of Euskaltel, followed by Karel Vacek of Burgos BH and Bruno Silva of Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua. The next few kilometers saw various attacks and counter-attacks, with those coming out of the peloton always gaining small advantages and their claims of being the day's breakaway being nullified. A fall in the peloton left several men very badly hurt, including two of the overall leaders.

António Carvalho of ABTF Betão- Feirense and Jesus del Pino of Louletano - Aviludo- Loulé Concelho are among those involved in the crash. Jesus del Pino's teammates dropped back to help their leader rejoin the peloton and took António Carvalho with them. Louletano does an excellent job and del Pino and Carvalho rejoin the peloton.

The peloton started the second hour of the race with an average speed of 45 km/h. The climbing and descending is constant, the headwind is felt as the men ride along the always magnificent Douro River and more attacks continue, all of them unsuccessful. Fifty kilometers from the finish line, the peloton rolls along compactly with the yellow jersey team at the head of the race. Meanwhile, in the Gandra Mountain Prize, Luis Ángel Maté is back in first place, followed by Hugo Nunes of Rádio Popular - Paredes- Boavista and Bruno Silva of Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua. A group of around 25 men took the front of the race and it was they who came out on top at the Lordelo finish line, where Fábio Costa of ABTF Betão-Feirense was the first man through, followed by Julius Johansen and Tomas Contte, with the escape having a lead of around 1 minute over the peloton.

At the start of the second category climb to Vandoma, the escapees have a lead of just over 40 seconds, but the climb is short and hard and many men start to take off. One kilometer from the top of the climb, the breakaway maintains a small margin over the peloton, which continues without any attacks at the back. However, at the back of the peloton, the third-placed rider overall, Jon Aguirre, is having a hard time not taking off, being carried by a teammate who is making a tremendous effort to help him, as he has a flat tire and is giving everything for his leader. At the top of Vandoma, it was the mountain leader, Luis Ángel Maté, who was the first to pass, and he was still at the head of the race. The peloton, if you can call it that, is completely broken up.

On the first pass through the finish line, the escapees have a 50-second lead. On the climb up to Baltar there are lots of fireworks. The men in the general classification attack in turn, with Colin Stussi, who is alone, answering them all. At the top, Maté wins maximum points. The race continues at high speed, completely chaotic, with constant attacks and counter-attacks from various men and teams. The most active is Euskatel. In the yellow jersey group, Louletano is taking the race, as it has an interest in the stage.

With 7.5 kms to go, a group of five men had gained an 11-second lead on the peloton. Louletano is chasing them madly. Artem Nych, winner of yesterday's stage, is in the breakaway, as are Joaquim Silva of Efapel and Alvaro Trueba of Tavira. With 3.4 kilometers to go, Louletano manages to close the gap and the main group, which includes the main contenders for the overall, heads for the finish line together. Jon Aguirre is now 2 minutes off the front and his place in the top 10 is in jeopardy.

Going into the final kilometer, Carlos Salgueiro of Tavira is isolated in front. Abner Gonzalez is the first to go, he catches and overtakes Carlos Salgueiro and just when everyone thinks that the Efapel man might win the stage, Franciso Penuela of Rádio Popular - Paredes - Boavista appears from behind like a bullet, with incredible speed to win the stage in impressive fashion.