On the 14th of February, the peloton will takle Portugal's first pro race in 2026, and its most prestigious one-day race: the Figueira Champions Classic. The race comes as a precursor to the Volta ao Algarve, providing opportunities for the climbers, sprinters and classics specialists all at once. We preview the race ahead.
The race was created in 2023, seeing the success of the Volta ao Algarve, which is now used as a racing block for the riders looking to seize the good weather in coastal Portugal at this time of winter. Casper Pedersen won the first race back in 2023, and the following year there was a big success in the triumph of Remco Evenepoel, a win which saw the race's reputation quickly grow into what it is today. In 2025, Local favourite António Morgado won with an attack on the climb to the Serra da Boa Viagem (Rua Parque Florestal) which then saw him take a solo win.
Profile: Figueira da Foz - Figueira da Foz
Figueira da Foz - Figueira da Foz, 190.7 kilometers
The race will be just over 190 kilometers long, with a mostly flat start and a hilly circuit finale - one that features three laps of a hilly circuit where there should be plenty fireworks. 2200 meters of climbing, the grand majority in its final half.
Once the first half of the route has been covered, we enter Figueira da Foz once again where we find two main climbs: Rua Parque Florestal (2.3Km; 7.8%; 20Km to go) and after some rolling terrain, the very short but sharp 'Enforca Cães' (800 meters; 7%; 6.1Km to go). This is a circuit that will be tackled on three occasions, with both climbs featuring double-digit gradients where it is not complicated for the best climbers to create damage. It's a very fast downhill then into the final few kilometers where it's still possible, but hard to chase a lone attacker.
Prediction Figueira Champions Classic 2026:
*** António Morgado, Brandon McNulty
** Jarno Widar, Toms Skujins, Lorenzo Finn
* Jakob Soderqvist, Daniel Martínez, Jan Tratnik, Marc Hischi, Marijn van den Berg, Max Poole, Riley Sheehan, Javier Romo, Tom Gloag, Sandy Dujardin, Diego Pescador
** Jarno Widar, Toms Skujins, Lorenzo Finn
* Jakob Soderqvist, Daniel Martínez, Jan Tratnik, Marc Hischi, Marijn van den Berg, Max Poole, Riley Sheehan, Javier Romo, Tom Gloag, Sandy Dujardin, Diego Pescador
Pick: Brandon McNulty
How: Solo win.
Original: Rúben Silva
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.
claps 4visitors 2
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
- dude, Lemond never even was in the same race as Armstrong. He throws all these aspersions on other American riders who might usurp his throne as the greatest ever American racer. He doesn't say a single thing about (foreign) dopers who he actually raced against. Biggest douchebag move ever. I used to revere that guy, now I despise him. His actions are so weird.fatsupermodel02-11-2026
- This is just stupid, You do what you are good at not what you are weak at. He has no results to speak of when he participated. Even Froome, Conatdor had very little. With Pogi there he wont win none of the classics. he is already 30+ with a few years left at the top. It takes years to get good at classics. Is that really worth the effort???abstractengineer02-11-2026
- Sure, little fella.awp02-11-2026
- You'll be the ongoing joke of 2027 with anything you post here!frieders302-11-2026
- Awwww your inside information must be from PogiFanGirl. You two daughters of different mothers?frieders302-11-2026
- Hey PogIFanGirl...wipe that cream from your lips! You're ever loving drooling and whatever you have for Tadej has your brain fried!frieders302-11-2026
- Why should he 'let it go' ! Because you said so? Anytime LA Doper is called out is a win win !frieders302-11-2026
- Geez LeMond...let it go. You're a has been, albeit a former great one. But this is all water under the bridge and just undermines your legacy further.Mshark01-11-2026
- 'The Slovenian has collected four Tour de France titles' ... '[Kieran Wood's] ... reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis'. i would say that is pretty inaccurate accurate coverage, kieran wood ... too bad that AI's knowledge often lags several months behind ... but proof reading is certainly part of accurate coverage, isn't it? but fortunately does Kieran Wood place 'strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.' i would say the fifth tdf title is pretty new (and even verified) information, so feel free to update this article.Ketterechts01-11-2026
Loading
1 Comments