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PREVIEW | Volta ao Algarve 2024 - Remco Evenepoel's race to lose; Wout van Aert, Tom Pidcock and Filippo Ganna follow star lineup
CyclingWednesday, 14 February 2024 at 10:56
Preview. The Volta ao Algarve takes place from the 14 to the 18 of February and is an event that provides opportunities for sprinters, climbers, classics riders and time-trialists.
The opening stage of the race is the longest of the week. It is 201 kilometers long and a day that should end, as traditional, in a bunch sprint this time around in the city of Lagos.
The second day of racing begins in Lago and takes the riders up to the first - and longest - summit finish at the Alto da Fóia. The first two halves of the day should be rather calm, but the third difficult. We've got two hilltops (3Km at 7.1% and 3.8Km at 7.9%) that will be a warm-up to the final ascent. A tough finale. The climb to the Fóia 7.5 kilometers at 5.9%, a fast and usually windy climb, where some gaps will appear and changes in the overall classification are expected.
The third day of the race will be the second bunch sprint, very likely. The stage will finish in the city of Tavira once again by the sea and should be a very fast affair.
Stage 1: Portimão - Lagos, 201.1 kilometers
Stage 2: Lagoa - Alto da Fóia, 172.2 kilometers
Stage 3: Vila Real de Santo António - Tavira, 192.4 kilometers
The fourth day of racing in the Algarve is the queen stage. The hilly days create some differences and limit the riders fighting for yellow, but it is against the clock that the big differences are created. This year, Albufeira hosts the start and finale of the time-trial that is 22.3 kilometers in distance. It will be a rolling effort, not completely flat, where big time gains are possible.
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The final day of racing in Portugal is it's traditional finale at the Alto do Malhão. A day in the hills of the interior of the region. 3000 meters of climbing and two laps of a final circuit that ends with a summit finish. The riders pass through the finish line once with 23 kilometers to go in the Malhão, and then have a 1.1-kilometer long pinch at 10% with 10 kilometers to go. The final ascent then is 2.5 kilometers at 10%, a tough climb where the riders will virtually be on their own and trying to get to the finish as soon as possible.
Stage 4 (ITT): Albufeira - Albufeira, 22.3 kilometers
Stage 5: Faro - Alto do Malhão, 165.4 kilometers
Prediction Volta ao Algarve 2024 overall classification:
*** Remco Evenepoel
** Jan Tratnik, Isaac del Toro
* Daniel Martínez, Sergio Higuita, Ben Healy, Stefan Küng, Filippo Ganna, Magnus Sheffield, Wout van Aert, Sepp Kuss, Tao Geoghegan Hart
Pick: Remco Evenepoel
Preview written by Rúben Silva.
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- Based on what argument?Mistermaumau21-12-2024
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- The likelihood of RE improving enough at this point to outclass TP or JV is less than zero.verve82521-12-2024
- That’s the most stupid thing I’ve read for a long time, did you not go to school and learn even the most basic physics? Aero depends on one thing only, drag, drag depends speed and the relationship is squared and apart from maybe at zero or the speed of sound or due to side winds that relationship is valid at all speeds, it dies not “suddenly” start at a magic number. Very simply, the faster you go the more the effect becomes important. If you think 25km/h is needed to have noticeable effects you’re delusional, athletic WR are cancelled as soon as winds top 2m/s that’s 7.2km/h, why because the assistance is already too important at that speed and the times prove it. You don’t even consider wind which can significantly increase the effective speed for aerodynamics and you underestimate speed of climbs, 6% is ridden more at 30 than 25km/h, a speed at which early generation high rims were considered to have more advantages than disadvantages. And finally, as in normal races you can’t just switch bikes according to terrain, it’s pretty pointless to discuss climbs as a separate situation, the aero will have justified itself plenty during the rest of the ride.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
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