PREVIEW | Figueira Champions Classic 2024 - Remco Evenepoel ultimate favourite to win on season debut

Preview. Cycling at the highest level is returning to Portugal on February 10 for the much-anticipated 2nd edition of the Figueira Champions- Casino Figueira, a Classic that will feature new features compared to its previous edition.

The first new feature is the length and profile of the race. If the first edition had a practically flat first part of the course, the same can't be said of the 2024 edition, which according to Carlos Pereira, race director, in an interview with "O Jogo" says: "If this year the first 100 kilometers were practically flat, this time there will be some climbs".

Looking at the profile, we see that the climbs to Alto do Calvete ( 1.6km at 3.9%), Eleclerc ( 3.2km at 5.3%) Porto Gordinho ( 1.2km at 5.2%) Alto Saltadouro ( 3.2km at 5.1%) Seiça ( 0.9km at 9.7%) Serra Castro ( 3.6km at 2.3%) and Vila Verde ( 1km at 6,5%) will toughen up the first 103.4 km, where Carlos Pereira presents a novelty. " During the course there will be some prize money, which will make the race more competitive and bring more speed to the race."

Once the first half of the route has been covered, we enter Figueira da Foz for a very tough final circuit that presents another novelty, as there will be 3 to 4 laps of the circuit, which will feature 2 tough climbs, Parque Florestal (2.1 km at 8%) and Enforca Cães (0.9 km at 7.3%), the latter of which could even be decisive as "after it, it's always downhill to the finish line. They're short, explosive climbs, just like the Classics," concludes Carlos Pereira.

Last but not least is the inclusion of all 14 towns in the municipality of Figueira da Foz, "who collaborate in an irreproachable way for the success of the race" which, as we know, has been upgraded to 1.Pro level this year. The first edition of the race took place in February of this year, won by the Danish Soudal - Quick-Step rider Casper Pedersen.

*** Remco Evenepoel, Andrea Bagioli
** Isaac del Toro, Marc Hirschi
* Mikel Landa, Quinten Hermans, Pelayo Sánchez, Ruben Guerreiro, Mike Teunissen, Casper van Uden, Vincenzo Albanese, Christian Scaroni, Marijn van den Berg

Pick: Remco Evenepoel