"Evenepoel is the biggest favourite, he has the advantage already" - Wout van Aert admits GC plans after bunch sprint win in Algarve
Cycling
Wout van Aert soared to his maiden win of the 2024 season today at the Volta ao Algarve. After delivering Olav Kooij to victory in a bunch sprint last week, this time around he had an opportunity and succeeded in the uphill sprint to Tavira.
"It was always important to take a win in the beginning of the season. It's good for the confidence, specially in a sprint. It's not easy and I'm happy," van Aert said in a post-race interview, later detailing: "It was a bit chaotic to come to the front because it was quite a wide road getting to the finish straight. It was a gamble I had to come from the back. I found a good position in the last corner, with the uphill and the headwind it was a good idea to come from the back."
It is an important triumph for the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider who is in Portugal to prime his form ahead of the Opening Weekend. A strong effort saw him beat Rui Oliveira and Marius Mayrhofer to the line on the third day of racing. The 10 bonus seconds he got at the line will also encourage him to chase the yellow jersey that currently lays on the shoulders of Daniel Martínez.
"I think I'm in a good position for the GC, definitely. My plan was to do a good time-trial and hopefully still have a few guys in the GC after tomorrow to make it a good final stage," he says. Van Aert has lost some time at the Alto da Fóia, but he is nevertheless going to test himself in the upcoming two days.
The main favourite for the overall win however is clear. "[Remco] Evenepoel is the biggest favourite, he has the advantage already and he's the time-trial World Champion. To me he's the biggest favourite, but I'm also surprised by the level of some others yesterday on the climb. Anyway it will be decided Sunday."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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🇵🇹 #VAlgarve2024 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐓! 🔥😃
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