Favorites stage 1 Tour of the Algarve 2025 | Will Van Aert join the sprint after the traffic circles?
Cycling
The top cyclists who traveled to southern Portugal for the Tour of the Algarve will probably get a nice first stage on their plate. Day one features 190 kilometers, where the sprinters have a good chance to shine. IDLProCycling.com shows you what the day will look like!
Route stage 1 Tour of the Algarve 2025
The Tour of the Algarve starts in Portimao, which is known for its Formula 1 racetrack. From the starting point on the coast, the cyclists set off in an easterly direction. At Albufeira, they turn inland and move closer to the Atlantic Ocean. We do not reach Sagres, which is located in the far west, as we head back inland towards the finish in Lagos.
Lagos is no stranger to the Tour of the Algarve, as it has been the finish location for the opening stage of the Tour of the Algarve almost every year since 2017. The list of winners is impressive and also gives an idea of the type of riders we can expect on Wednesday: Fernando Gaviria, Dylan Groenewegen, Fabio Jakobsen three times, Alexander Kristoff, and last year Gerben Thijssen have all won.
Between three and two kilometers from the finish, the course rises slightly before descending gently to the finish line. The last thousand meters are flat but start with a traffic circle. A few hundred meters later, there is another one where the peloton will ride in a single file. Positioning is, therefore, key, as has been proven in recent years in Lagos.
Climbs
95.0 km: Nave (5.4 km a 4.4%)
Times
Start: 7:10 AM EST
Finish: 11:36 AM EST
Weather stage 1 Tour of the Algarve 2025
We are on the coast, and it can always be windy there, but chances are low on Wednesday. With a temperature of 17 degrees Celsius, the wind does not pick up in Portugal, so the most logical scenario is a classic build-up to a sprint.
Favorites stage 1 Tour of the Algarve 2025
The world's best sprinters are currently in the United Arab Emirates for the UAE Tour, although the winner of the green jersey in the most recent Tour de France is also participating in the Tour of the Algarve. Therefore, Biniam Girmay is among the men to beat in this opening stage on behalf of Intermarché-Wanty, as he is working towards the Opening Weekend and Milan-Sanremo. Last year, Gerben Thijssen proved to the team that they know how to win here.
Fans of Belgian riders should watch the race on TV on Wednesday. Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) naturally stands out in terms of name, although he didn't sprint at this finish last year. Milan Fretin (Cofidis), the winner of the Almeria GP, is also a serious contender, and then we also have Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) and Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe).
Casper van Uden is the Netherlands' best hope on behalf of Picnic PostNL in a sprinter line-up that also includes Alberto Dainese (Tudor), Madis Mikhels (EF Education-EasyPost), Rui Oliveira (UAE Emirates-XRG), Alberto Brutomesso (Bahrain Victorious), and track world champion Iuri Leitao (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA).
Men like Sam Watson (INEOS Grenadiers), Dries Van Gestel (Soudal Quick-Step), Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek), and Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) could also mix it in the sprint on a good day, but winning is probably a difficult task. Maybe Filippo Ganna can try something crazy in the final kilometer in his INEOS Grenadiers shirt.
Favorites stage 1 Tour of the Algarve 2025, according to IDLProCycling.com
Top favorites: Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) and Milan Fretin (Cofidis)
Outsiders: Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike), Arnaud De Lie (Lotto), Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) and Casper van Uden (Picnic PostNL)
Long shots: Alberto Dainese (Tudor), Madis Mikhels (EF Education-EasyPost), Rui Oliveira (UAE Emirates-XRG), Alberto Brutomesso (Bahrain Victorious), Iuri Leitao (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Sam Watson (INEOS Grenadiers), Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) and Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ)
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Latest Comments
- Remco is still very young. And injuries can absolutely keep you from overdoing it and getting worse. The recent Remco accident didn't keep him from being able to ride a recumbent inside. Wout's knee is a different story thoughVeganpotter23-01-2025
- Van der Poel style is winning by a half a lap and leading the race from the end of the second lap.
Barnes127420-01-2025 - If she thinks talent alone will put her there she will not see many podium finishes much less a GC finish.....work as a team utilizing tactics to consistently be at the top.Germanrazor10-01-2025
- This was very informative! Luiz Antonio Duarte Ferreiraluizantonioduarteferreira02-01-2025
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024