Preview Tour of the Algarve 2024 | Van Aert, Evenepoel, Ganna and so on: cycling elite gathers in Portugal!

In February, the lineup of spring races continues with the Tour of the Algarve! The south of Portugal is the place to be this week, or so many global cycling stars must have thought. The organization is likely over the moon with a very strong starting field including the likes of Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel. IDLProCycling.com is eager to tell you all about it!

Anyone who looks at the honor roll of the five-day stage race in the Algarve will see a lot of star quality. We are not just talking about Jao Rodrigues, the winner of 2021, but about grand tour winners and former world champions like Remco Evenepoel, Michal Kwiatkowski, Tadej Pogacar, Primoz Roglic and Geraint Thomas.

Last season, the Colombian Daniel Felipe Martínez was the best, finishing the five-day race two seconds faster than his teammate Filippo Ganna. Both men are back this year, as are many other stars.

Most recent winners Tour of the Algarve

2023 Daniel Felipe Martínez
2022 Remco Evenepoel
2021 Joao Rodrigues
2020 Remco Evenepoel
2019 Tadej Pogacar
2018 Michal Kwiatkowski
2017 Primoz Roglic
2016 Geraint Thomas
2015 Geraint Thomas
2014 Michal Kwiatkowski

Tour of the Algarve 2024: course, favorites stage wins, climbs and times

Stage 1, Wednesday, February 14: Portimao - Lagos (200.8 km)

The Tour of the Algarve kicks off with a stage of more than two hundred kilometers. We start in Portimao, and after more than five hours of racing, we will arrive in Lagos. On paper, this seems like a stage cut out for the sprinters, although they need to be alert in the finale due to some slightly uphill sections.

Climbs
37.6 km: Aldeia dos Matos (1.9 km at 5.2%)
96.5 km: Nave (5.9 km at 4.2%)

Times
Start: 11:45 AM (12:45 pm Dutch time)
Finish: 4:45 pm (5:45 pm Dutch time)

Stage 2, Thursday, February 15: Lagoa - Alto de Foia (171.9 km)

On day two, we cover 171.9 kilometers from Lagoa to the summit of Alto de Foia, marking the eighth consecutive year that a stage of the Tour of the Algarve will finish here. At the top of this 7.5-kilometer climb, with a gradient of 5.9 percent, the race often turns into an uphill sprint with the big names. Last season, Magnus Cort won after Ilan Van Wilder raised his hands too early in celebration.

Climbs
77.7 km: Alto de Choca (1.8 km at 6.2%)
146.2 km: Alferce (3 km at 7.1%)
158.2 km: Pomba (3.8 km at 7.9%)
171.9 km: Alto de Foia (7.5 km at 5.9%)

Favorites
Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step)
Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers)

Times
Start: 12:00 PM (1:00 PM Dutch time)
Finish: 4:30 PM (5:30 PM Dutch time)

Stage 3, Friday, February 16: Vila Real de Santo Antonio - Tavira (192.2 km)

After a day for the climbers, stage four is normally another stage suited to the sprinters. In Tavira, we usually encounter a sprint finish, where Dutch riders like Dylan Groenewegen (twice) and Cees Bol have been able to snag a victory in the recent past.

Climbs
103.4km: Alcaria (2.3km at 6.%)
148.0km: Faz Fato (4.7km at 3.3%)

Favorites
Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty)
Soren Waerenskjold (Uno-X)
Arnaud Démare (Arkea - B&B Hotels)

Times
Start: 12:00 PM (1:00 PM Dutch time)
Finish: 4:45 PM (5:45 PM Dutch time)

Stage 4, Saturday, February 17: Albufeira - Albufeira (22 km, time trial)

The Tour of the Algarve traditionally attracts the better time trialists to southern Portugal, and the 2024 edition is no exception. In and around the resort town of Albufeira, 22 kilometers of hard riding are on the agenda, which also includes a few tricky climbs.

Climbs
None

Favorites
Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers)
Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step)

Times
Start: 3:20 PM (4:20 PM Dutch time)
Finish: not yet known

Stage 5, Sunday, February 18: Faro - Alto de Malhao (165.8 km)

On the final day of the Tour of the Algarve, the organization also opts for a familiar recipe, with the closing stage leading up the summit of Alto de Malhao. The entire day is a series of ups and downs, with the Malhao (more than two kilometers at more than nine percent) as the concluding treat that must be conquered twice. Always a very interesting stage!

Climbs
43.8 km: Picota (3.0 km at 6.0%)
99.0 km: Vermelhos (3.3 km at 5.8%)
128.3 km: Alte (2.4 km at 6.8%)
141.8 km: Alto de Malhao (2.6 km at 9.2%)
165.8 km: Alto de Malhao (2.6 km at 9.2%)

Favorites
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step)
Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers)
Daniel Felipe Martínez (BORA-hansgrohe)

Times
Start: 11:35 AM (12:35 PM Dutch time)
Finish: 3:43 PM (4:43 PM Dutch time)

Favorites general classification Tour of the Algarve 2024

What a fantastic lineup: stage racers, classics specialists, time trialists, they're all here in the Algarve this week. Yet, one man stands out as the absolute favorite for the general classification, and that is Remco Evenepoel of Soudal Quick-Step. The Belgian already impressively won the Figuiera Champions Classic on Saturday and, given his qualities (time trialing, punching and climbing), is the man to beat in the Algarve. Mikel Landa and Mattia Cattaneo are supporting him.

Visma | Lease a Bike likely has the man who could make things difficult for Evenepoel in its ranks: Wout van Aert, but he has already stated he will not directly aim for the classification. "There are a number of beautiful stages and a time trial. I don't have ambitions for the general classification. I hope to return home with good legs and pleasant experiences," said Van Aert. Also, according to team director Arthur van Dongen, the other guys, including Sepp Kuss, Milan Vader, Tiesj Benoot and Jan Tratnik, do not directly have ambitions for the general classification.

There are of course other fantastic teams in the Algarve. What about INEOS Grenadiers? They line up with Geraint Thomas, a two-time winner, but likely, the man from Wales will sacrifice himself for teammates like Tom Pidcock, Magnus Sheffield and also Thymen Arensman. The other two emerging grand tour teams, Lidl-Trek (Tao Geoghegan Hart and Andrea Bagioli) and BORA-hansgrohe (Sergio Higuita and defending champion Daniel Felipe Martínez), also have multiple strong contenders.

At EF Education-EasyPost, Ben Healy, or perhaps even local hero Rui Costa, could aim for a strong result. Furthermore, we consider classics types like Marc Hirschi (UAE-Team Emirates, which also starts with Antonio Morgado and Isaac Del Toro) and the duo Valentin Madouas-Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) as contenders.

Who are the favorites for the general classification of the Tour of the Algarve 2024, according to IDLProCycling.com?

Top favorite: Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step)
Outsiders: Daniel Felipe Martínez (BORA-hansgrohe), Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) and Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek)
Long shots: Wout van Aert, Sepp Kuss (Visma | Lease a Bike), Thymen Arensman, Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers), Sergio Higuita (BORA-hansgrohe), Isaac del Toro Marc Hirschi (UAE-Team Emirates), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) and Andrea Bagioli (Lidl-Trek)

TV Tour of the Algarve 2024

After the Ruta del Sol has wrapped up, you can watch the Tour of the Algarve live on Eurosport this week. The sports channel will broadcast the race in the afternoons on both the main channel and online platforms.