PREVIEW | Volta ao Algarve 2025 - Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic fight for their first yellow jersey of the year
Cycling
From the 19th to 23rd February the peloton will be tackling the Volta ao Algarve, one of the races that has most evolved at international level and features a whole array of stars every year - when it comes to the climbers, sprinters and classics specialists. We preview the race ahead.
The race starts off with a flat day, something the Algarve often offers with it's extensive coast. The sprinters will be delighted with the good weather and a sprint finish already on day 1, where a yellow jersey will also be available for the first rider to cross the line in Lagos.
The second stage of the race will be guided towards the climbers. Overall it is not too hard, but the end presents terrain for some differences to be made. At the end we've got the combination of two climbs: the first is the climb to Pomba which is 3.8 kilometers long at 7.4%, ending with 10.5 kilometers to go.
After a very small ascent, the riders climb up the exposed Alto da Fóia, climbed through a diffferent side this year. The ascent is not too hard, 8.5 kilometers at 5%, but it has quite a lot of switchbacks and a final kilometer at 9%. Without a doubt the fireworks will be left for the finale, but it will provide for an interesting battle for the win.
Stage 3 will be another day for the sprinters, starting in Vila Real de Santo António and ending in Tavira with an arrival that features little obstacles. Another battle for the riders who have the most maximum power output.
Stage 4 will be a day where the sprinters will be licking their lips once again. It's not an easy day on the bike, it does feature a few small ascents that can ache for those who struggle with the longer efforts, and even close to the finish we've got bonus seconds available at the top of a small ascent.
Nevertheless, it can hurt some sprinters but they won't be enough to prevent a bunch sprint with most certainty, and in Faro we should have a third and final battle between the sprinters.
The race ends with a time-trial this year, and it will be an exciting one. 19.6 kilometers in distance, the riders will be racing against the clock from Salir to the famous Alto do Malhão. The final 2-kilometer climb averages 9% and instead of hosting a summit finish this year, it will host the finish line of the race's time-trial.
This will be the race's queen stage as in such distances it is very viable to create big differences, and additionally there will be a big challenge when it comes to pacing tactics and whether riders change bikes at the bottom of the climb or not.
Prediction Volta ao Algarve 2025 overall classification:
*** Primoz Roglic, Jonas Vingegaard
** João Almeida, Mathias Vacek, Filippo Ganna, Antonio Tiberi,
* António Morgado, Wilco Kelderman, Mattia Cattaneo, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Ilan van Wilder, Max Schachmann, Oier Lazkano, Jan Tratnik, Thymen Arensman, Stefan Küng, Neilson Powless, Romain Bardet, Dylan Teuns, Max Poole, Romain Grégoire
Pick: Primoz Roglic
Original: Rúben Silva
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🚴♂️ Já temos percurso para a 51.ª Volta ao Algarve!
— Volta ao Algarve (@VoltAlgarve) December 12, 2024
🇵🇹 Percurso renovado para aumentar o espectáculo desportivo:https://t.co/vJzXqgTlW5
🇬🇧 Renovated route to increase the sporting spectacle:https://t.co/7LHAMACQCj pic.twitter.com/uk9upgQrys
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- It's very refreshing and a welcome change of pace to hear a legend from the past share some positive and encouraging words to the now generation for a change. Thank you, Bernard Hinault.
santiagobenites28-03-2025 - And you know this how? Proof?frieders328-03-2025
- This guy lives his live in the past, must be fun for his grandkids.JoostMehrtens27-03-2025
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- Well said. It’s tough to compare across erasmobk27-03-2025
- The level of competition in every sport is so very much higher than it was in the 70s (I'm old enough to remember), and that's fine. You compete against the people you compete against. You win the race you're in, not a race of the past or of the future. Are there any world records from the 70s? Very few, I suspect. The way people train these days, the way they race these days, it's just different. And I am comfortable assuming the following: today's riders are faster and stronger than those of the past. It's a different profession, it's more professional, and that's fine. So is every sport. What de Vlaeminck did was totally amazing in his time, but in this era not only is it not needed (people earn enough without bonuses), it's also not enough (training prepares you for racing more than racing does). Eras change. It's okay. Who knows where we will be in another 50 years.RidesHills27-03-2025
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- Gotta ask you Roger how much did you get paid back then? Not what they do now that is why they race less.
MrCampy27-03-2025 - The simple fact that we have a champion like Tadej looking to break down the barrier of what's been the cycling norm for the last 35-40 years is something that should be applaudedslappers6627-03-2025