"Philipsen took too long to launch": Paul Magnier seizes opportunity to defeat the sprinter star
Cycling
The 2026 Volta ao Algarve got underway with a sprinters' day in Tavira. In the final, Paul Magnier was fastest and secured his opening victory of the season as Jordi Meeus and Pavel Bittner completed the podium. Tomorrow, the Portuguese race continues with a stage up the Fóia climb (8.8 km at 6.2%), one of the race's decisive ascents.
"It’s true that it’s a very good start to the season," Magnier told Domestique after the stage. "I had a quite good winter and today was the first time that I rode really with a very strong team. We managed to work together and I made the right decisions."
For Magnier, the victory carried extra shimmer thanks to the names he left behind including Jasper Philipsen or Arnaud de Lie. "I think in terms of the level of sprinters here, it’s my biggest win," he said. "It allows me to show that I’m in good form and the team really did good work, so it’s only positives for the future."
The key to Magnier's victory was hesitation from the stage favourites, as Magnier sees it. "Yes, I saw that Philipsen took a bit of time to launch so I decided to go on the left," he explained. "I felt really strong and it’s the type of finish which suits me really well, so it was perfect."
Takes pressure off for Quick-Step
It's taken Soudal - Quick-Step nearly an entire month to log a victory in 2026, but ultimately they could lean back on their main weapon; lightning-fast sprinters. After the departure of Remco Evenepoel, this is a key reassurement for the team that they can succeed even without their poster-boy of this decade's first half.
"It’s true it’s been a bit of time that we haven’t won, we’ve had a lot of injuries this winter, especially Tim [Merlier]," Magnier said. "So I think it will do good and motivate the whole team."
Paul Magnier wins in Tavira
He pointed to composure as the difference in the final kilometres. "It’s good for my morale, it allows me to take confidence well and it’s good we all stayed together in the last kilometres when it was really chaotic."
To outsprint Philipsen is never a bad way to wrap the day, but Magnier expressed pride with how his team stood its ground against Alpecin's strong leadout. "Yes, well I’ve already beaten him [before], but he had a very good train with him, including Kaden Groves, so I’m very proud of the collective performance."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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