PREVIEW | Figueira Champions Classic 2024 - Remco Evenepoel ultimate favourite to win on season debut
Cycling
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".
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Figueira da Foz - Figueira da Foz, 219.5 kilometers
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.
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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.
Prediction Figueira Champions Classic 2024:
*** 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
** 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
Preview written by Rúben Silva.
Map Figueira Champions Classic - Casino Figueira 2024
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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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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