"I'm definitely disappointed but I feel like it's a good kind of disappointment" - Magnus Sheffield second on stage 4 time-trial at the Volta ao Algarve

In a very impressive effort, INEOS Grenadiers' Magnus Sheffield was second on the stage 4 individual time-trial at the 2024 Volta ao Algarve, only beaten by reigning world champion in the discipline, Remco Evenepoel.

"He put down a really solid time-trial. He was already a few seconds quicker than me at the first time check and then he was able to find some more seconds by the line," said Sheffield post-stage, full of praise for Evenepoel. "I'm definitely disappointed but I feel like it's a good kind of disappointment, so I just need to keep putting in the work and I'll get him next time."

Finishing just 17 seconds down on Evenepoel, Sheffield has launched himself up the general classification as a result. The American is now 8th overall at 1:35, just 23 seconds off the podium with one stage left to ride. Reward for some intense training. "I've put a lot of work into time-trial training," he laughs. "The World Championships in Zurich are definitely a big goal of mine but I think mostly, it's the Olympics beforehand. It's only every four years so it's a really big goal."

With the likes of time-trial experts, Joshua Tarling and Filippo Ganna also on the INEOS Grenadiers, Sheffield has good teammates to learn from. "We've been doing efforts together and even guys like Tom Pidcock, it's really important for him as a GC guy to really focus on the time-trial," he concludes.