Volta ao Algarve: Filippo Ganna misses solo sprint win after opening stage cancelled due to bizarre misdirection of peloton

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Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) initially won the opening stage at the Volta ao Algarve after a bizarre final that saw the majority of the peloton enter the final stretch of 800 metres on the wrong side of the roadside median and barriers, through an unblocked support car deviation, and attempt to sprint among the crowds of fans lined up to watch the race at the finish line in Lagos.

Race organisers later announced that they had cancelled the stage due to the confusion that occurred in the final 800 metres of the 192.2km race from Portimão to Lagos.

Ganna was among the few riders who made the correct turn, veering left of the roundabout side and along the left side of the median and roadside barriers inside the final 800 metres and so crossed the line solo, one second ahead of Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) and Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). 

Organisers stated that while they cancelled the stage results, they would award Ganna the leader's jersey, but later eliminated that classification award and would recognise the GC points after stage 2.

"I took the correct way, and the win," Ganna initially said in a post-race winner's interview, before organisers cancelled the stage results. "The stage was hard, long, warm but it was nice to be back here in Algarve. Everything I enjoy being back. Two years ago, I didn't drop in the climbs. We will see now. It is steep so we will see what happens. It is important to arrive with a good feeling and we will see what more can happen."

It has been reported that as the lead commissaire and official's vehicle were directed off the route deviation inside the final few hundred metres to the righthand side of the median and roadside barriers on a divided roadway, and that the majority of the peloton followed because the deviation was not adequately blocked off.

Although a lead motorcycle official and marshal signalled to the peloton to deviate to the left, they appeared to have been positioned too far along the course for the peloton to see or react in time, according to reports.

Marco Haller (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) reacted to the chaotic final saying that the officials and organisers need to face consequences for such a dangerous finish.

"You could see that on the last kilometre, the deviation wasn't blocked by the officials, and obviously when the riders are coming, they follow the motorbikes, like they always do. And for me, it's pretty ridiculous because we suffered 190km to put ourselves in the perfect position and then it is basically everything for nothing," he said.

"It is a joke. Something where there need to be consequences for the officials and the organisers because it cannot always be the riders who are to blame. We are in the heat of the moment, it is a race situation, and it is frustrating. It is always the same finish, but this is why we have fences, we have officials, and motorbikes who guide us, that was just poor. It is very frustrating for all of the riders because we want to have the best one to win it and not by chance." 

How it unfolded

The identical opening stage to 2024, running in a broad loop first inland from Portimão and then back along the Algarve coastline to the nearby coastal town of Lagos, began in warm, sunny weather. 

Expectations that the multiple local Continental squads, lacking sprinters to take on the WorldTour teams but well represented in the sizable 175-strong peloton, would be key factors in the early breakaway attempts - and those predictions proved to be fully correct.

Gonçolo Oliveira (Anicolor-Tien), Francisco Morais (Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortagua), Victor de Paula (Feirense-Beeceler), Carlos Miguel Salgado and Francisco Campos (AP Hotels&Resorts/Tavira/SC Farense), Noah Campos (GI Group Holding-Simoldes-Udo), Diego Narciso (Credibom/LA Aluminios/Marcos Car) and German Nicolas Tivani (Aviludo-Louletano-Loule) formed part of the one major break to go clear early in the day. 

The average speed over the rolling Algarve hinterland was a brisk 43 kph for the first hour, and 44 for the second, but as the eight Continental riders approached the one categorised climb of the day, the category 3 Nave, they still had an advantage of well over three minutes. That was ample time for Argentina's Tivani to pick up the only KOM mountain points on offer and, too, for the chasing peloton to slowly pick up the pace as it headed down towards the Atlantic coastline again.

The increase in speed saw the eight ahead form a more cohesive collaboration at least as far as the final 50 kilometres, helped by the relatively straightforward route and steady speed. 

Lotto, working for Arnaud de Lie, and Intermarché-Wanty, doing exactly the same for Biniam Girmay, made much of the running behind, squeezing the gap to just over a minute before the breakaway started to panic and fell apart.

Salgueiro, the only rider with a teammate in the break, charged away alone in a solo bid to defy the overriding bunch sprint narrative of the stage, and he swiftly chipped out an extra 20-second advantage. That said, the dragging ascent to a coastal headland that followed was far from ideal terrain for such a move, particularly as EF Education-EasyPost were now also involved in the chase. 

With nothing to lose, though, Salguiero still made it solo as far as the intermediate sprint at Vila do Bispo, and the second group were only a bare half-minute behind. However, a broad, smooth highway was all the bunch needed to use their superior firepower and force a general regrouping with 23 kilometres to go.

Tudor Pro Cycling, Q36.5, Ineos Grenadiers, Lotto and EF Education-EasyPost set the pace at the front of the field into the final 20km, stretching the peloton into the finale. Meanwhile, some of the general classification favourites like Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) appeared to remain alone but safely near the front.

Lotto led the peloton into the final roundabouts inside the last 1.3km and another with 800 metres to go, and it appeared that the field would contest a bunch sprint. However, the majority of the field entered the support car deviation that was not adequately blocked off and sprinted along the wrong side of the median and barriers, which ran parallel to the finishing straightaway. Ganna and a select few who were positioned further back entered the correct side of the final stretch.