Remco Evenepoel evades all problems in technical finish of Volta ao Algarve stage 1: "I'm happy that I was able to finish without any problems"

Remco Evenepoel survived the opening stage of the Volta ao Algarve unharmed. That was quite a task, because the racing was chaotic in the final phase of the stage to Lagos.

"I'm happy that I was able to avoid the crash and reach the finish without any problems," the leader of Soudal Quick-Step stated in the press release on his team's website.

"Everyone knows that the finish is quite dangerous with those long roundabouts in the last kilometer," Evenepoel also told the Belgian press afterwards. "Luckily it turned out well for us. We don't have a sprinter anymore anyway, so we didn't really have the motivation to be the first to enter the last kilometer. I also don't like to get in the way of the sprinters."

"The level was immediately quite high, there were many top sprinters at the start," he noted. "Then you notice that, especially towards the end, it gets nervous and you really have to fight for every position. But I do think we were at the front at the most important moments and stayed out of trouble."

Evenepoel's first test will follow on Thursday at the Alto de Foia. “That will be an important stage. We know the climb. It is a nice climb and we are riding up the same way as when I won in 2020, so I am very motivated.”