American says he's stronger this year after matching top climbers on Alto do Malhão
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2022 final GC for Volta ao Algarve (L to R): third-place finisher Daniel Martinez (Ineos Grenadiers), winner Remco Evenepoel (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl, and second-placed Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates)(Image credit: Roberto Bettini/SprintCyclingAgency2022)
Remco Evenepoel (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) held his dominant one-minute-plus advantage on the fifth and final stage of the Volta ao Algarve and wrapped up the overall victory on Sunday. His fifth place on stage 5 atop Alto do Malhão provided a solid cushion over several contenders, which included Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) at 1:17 back to finish second overall. Daniel Martínez (Ineos Grenadiers) used his second-place finish on the final climb to secure third overall.
As expected, a final battle developed on the fifth categorised climb of the day, the category 2 Malhão (2.6km at 9.5 per cent). Evenepoel was part of a five-rider surge on the final incline that was won by Sergio Higuita (Bora-Hansgrohe). The time gained by Martínez with his second-place finish on the stage, just ahead of McNulty, moved him ahead of teammate Ethan Hayter on the final podium as Hayter faded to a 10th-place finish on the stage that moved him to fourth overall.
The overall victory gave Evenepoel his second title at Volta ao Algarve in two years, using a blistering pace in the time trial on Saturday to take this year's title. The 22-year-old Belgian also took the white young riders jersey, while his teammate Fabio Jakobsen secured the points jersey. João Mathias (Tavfer-Mortágua-Ovos Matinados) was the mountain classification winner.
Putting in a huge effort of nearly a full minute ahead of his closest competitor, Remco Evenepoel (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) rode to victory and earned the race leader's jersey with a dominant performance on stage 4 of the Volta ao Algarve on Saturday. European time trial champion Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) finished 58 seconds back for second place, while another eight seconds back on the clock was Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) for third place.
Evenepoel's sizzling time across the 32.2km route from Vila Real de Santo António to Tavira disrupted the GC standings with one day remaining for the five-day stage race. Going into the race against the clock, six riders stalked the overall leader, David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) all just one second away. Gaudu finished 2:09 behind the Belgian and toppled to seventh on GC. Hayter moved to second overall and American Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates moved down one spot to third.
The race will be decided on Sunday on stage 5, with two ascents of the Alto do Malhão, the second time for the uphill battle for the finish.
Dashing across the finish line in Faro in the green points jersey, Fabio Jakobsen won stage 3 at the 2022 Volta ao Algarve. The QuickStep-AlphaVinyl sprinter finished well ahead of Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) in second place and Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) in third.
Stage 3 of the Volta ao Algarve was the longest of the five-day race at 211.4km from Almodovar to Faro. The QuickStep team led out Jakobsen to his second victory in three days, and worked to protect Remco Evenepoel, who held on to fourth place on GC just one second back, for his opportunity to seal an overall victory.
David Guadu (Groupama-FDJ) retained the leader’s jersey by one second ahead of six riders, with Brandon McNuty (UAE Team Emirates) and Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) just ahead of Evenepoel. The GC was expected to shake out a new order after Saturday's stage 4 time trial from Vila Real de Santo António to Tavira on Saturday.
David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) moved into the overall race lead with a surprising win on the Alto da Foia at stage 2 of the 2022 Volta ao Algarve on Thursday. Samuele Battistella (Astana Qazaqstan) and Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) ran out of pavement to finish second and third, respectively.
Part of a reduced group of a dozen riders who marked each other for six of the final seven kilometres, the Frenchman launched his uphill sprint to just miss being interrupted by a crash in the final 100 metres when Tobias Foss (Jumbo-Visma) and Sergio Higuita (Bora-Hansgrohe) bumped shoulders and hit the deck, disrupting the full-on sprint that was forming around them.
Gaudu took over the race leader’s yellow jersey Fabio Jakobsen (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl), while Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) used his fourth-place finish on stage 2 to move one second back in the GC. There were five other riders in the same time, with Remco Evenepoel (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) lurking closest in third.
A train of QuickStep-AlphaVinyl riders delivered Fabio Jakobsen to the line in Lagos for the victory of stage 1 at the 2022 Volta ao Algarve. It was the third time he has finished with a sprint victory Lagos, each time taking the race leader's jersey.
With a tailwind blowing the reduced peloton along the straight boulevard next to the Atlantic Ocean, Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe) was next across the finish line, followed by Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) and then Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), but Meeus was later relegated to 32nd for bumping with Kristoff along the barriers. Coquard would take second and Kristoff third.
Stage 1 brought the peloton from Portimão to Lagos for 199km under sunny skies on the southern coast of Portugal. Crosswinds and two massive pileups created some splits in the peloton as they headed to fast finish, and it was all controlled by QuickStep-AlphaVinyl.
Stage 1 - Volta ao Algarve: Jakobsen wins stage 1 | Portimão - Lagos2022-02-16 199.1km
