Volta a Portugal turned on it's head at Serra da Estrela | Sergio Chumil wins from the breakaway and Colin Stussi loses yellow jersey

Sergio Chumil is the new king of Serra da Estrela! The 23-year-old cyclist is the first Guatemalan to win a stage in the Volta a Portugal and he did it from the breakaway. The day was marked by a change in the general classification, which saw Afonso Eulálio rise from 10th to first after gaining more than a minute and a half on Colin Stüssi, who was calm and gained time on much of the competition.

Arrival day at the top of theSerra da Estrela, one of the most decisive of the Volta a Portugal. Third stage in a row, 161.2 kilometers. The day was uneventful until the final climb, the only special category of the "Grandissima", in the Serra da Estrela. 20.3 km at 6.5% average gradient, which features areas that are much steeper. The ramps between kilometers 3 and 6 stand out, with one kilometer over 10%. Anyone who didn't attack before the final 9 kilometers could only do so on the last ramp, three kilometers long.

The start of the stage was marked by a crash that led to three withdrawals, namely Jonathan Caicedo, Emanuel Duarte and Cesar Macias. Bad news for Diego Camargo and Luís Fernandes, who lost support on the climbs. The breakaway was slow to form, with several teams realizing how important it would be to have someone at the front for the final climb. Curiously, no team put a rider in the breakaway who was a real threat to the overall.

Team Vorarlberg controlled the race at the front of the peloton without any major problems. The breakaway entered the final climb with a lead of around 2 minutes and Sabgal - Anicolor Cycling Team decided to take the reins of the peloton. At the front, Xavier Cañellas attacked and remained isolated. Behind, another Spaniard suffered a mechanical problem, and not just any Spaniard, with Ander Okamika, 6th in the general classification, falling behind, albeit only temporarily.

Sabgal worked at the front with Frederico Figueiredo... and Mauricio Moreira lost contact with 16 km to go. In the meantime, Euskaltel - Euskadi moved to the front and Afonso Eulálio launched an attack. It was an important move for the general classification, as it could guarantee ABTF Betão - Feirense two very well-placed men in the general classification and lead to Colinn Stüssi or other general classification riders wearing themselves out to nullify the initiative.

And it was 15 km from the finish that the yellow jersey showed his strength and closed the gap after having a teammate pull him back for a few meters. António Carvalho responded immediately but slipped a little for a few meters.

Then it was Mikel Bizkarra's turn to attack and Afonso Eulálio was off again. The 23-year-old was on a roll and quickly got to the front, now made up of Cañellas and Sergio Chumil, with only the Guatemalan champion keeping pace with the Santa Maria da Feira team's number 2. In direct pursuit were Delio Fernández, Mikel Bizkarra and Jaume Guardeño, who was confirming his victory in the youth classification.

The lead for the yellow jersey group began to increase and Diego Camargo attacked, also without any response. The 23-year-old took the virtual lead, while Mauricio Moreira rejoined the group of favorites and Jon Aguirre rode in the chasing group, promising a real podium finish.

With just over 3 km to go, Stüssi, at the back of the group, seemed resigned to losing time. Credibom / LA Alumínios / MarcosCar were pulling away... and Stüssi launched his attack! António Carvalho was left behind and the yellow jersey passed straight through Luís Fernandes' group.

Stüssi recovered around 30 seconds but it wasn't enough to stop the young Eulálio from taking the yellow jersey by 11 seconds. Jon Aguirre is third at 15 seconds and Bizkarra is fourth at 37 seconds. Chumil got the better of the Portuguese rider at the finish line, having resisted his pace and after a day on the run. A truly sensational stage.

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