Algarve: Theo Bos wins stage 2

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Theo Bos (Team Blanco) won the 195km second stage of the Volta ao Algarve to Lagoa in a sprint finish. The Blanco sprinter beat Giacomo Nizzolo (RadioShack Leopard) and Bruno Matos Sancho (Carmim-Tavira) in a close sprint and moved into the race lead after teammate Paul Martens was unable to make the lead group.

After a flurry of early attacks 10 riders managed to escape the clutches of the peloton with Dmitry Kozontchuk (Katusha), Sep Vanmarcke (Blanco), Ricardo Garcia (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Manuele Boaro (Team Saxo-Tinkoff), Bertjan Lindeman (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team), Omar Fraile (Caja Rural), Dalivier Ospina (Colombia), Tomas Metcalfe (Carmim-Tavira), Hugo Sabido (La Aluminios-Antarte) and Alejandro Marque Porto (OFM-Quinta Da Lixa) going clear.

The group quickly established a lead of 2:40 by the 42-kilometre mark. After 75 kilometres the bunch had allowed the gap to reach five minutes as Boaro picked up the first mountain points of the day on the 3rd category climb.

The break pushed ahead and extended their lead to 8 minutes after 82 kilometres and on the next climb of Fóia it was Marque who picked up maximum points.

Omega Pharma Quick Step moved to the front soon after began to reduce to leaders' advantage. With Vanmarcke up the road, Blanco were in an ideal position. But with 40 kilometres to go the break had just 3 minutes to play with.

Kozontchuk, Vanmarcke, Garcia, Boaron, Marque and Lindeman shed the rest of their companions but with 10 to go the gap was down to just 30 seconds and a bunch sprint was on the cards.

Vanmacke attacked yet again though, dragging Marque and Boaro but the trio were finally reeled in inside the final 4 kilometres.