Cyclingflash
Paul Magnier sprints to another win in Volta ao Algarve

Paul Magnier sprints to another win in Volta ao Algarve

Paul Magnier has won another stage in the Volta ao Algarve. The sprinter from Soudal Quick-Step edged out Jordi Meeus and Oded Kogut in Lagos. Jasper Philipsen finished in tenth place, while Arnaud De Lie ended even further back.

What kind of stage was on the program?
On Saturday’s Volta ao Algarve, the race featured an almost flat stage from Albufeira to Lagos. Along the way, there was the climb of Nave (5.6 kilometers at 4.2%), but the expectation was that after 175 kilometers, it would come down to a sprint finish.

Who were in the early breakaway?
There were eight riders in the early break. Six of them spoke Portuguese with each other. These were the Portuguese Diogo Pinto, Joao Silva, Noah Campos, Fabio Costa, and Hugo Nunes, along with the Brazilian Victor De Paula. Additionally, Ruben Fernandez and Tomas Contte were part of the breakaway, which was reeled in already 30 kilometers from the finish.

How did the finale unfold?
The finale was fairly tense. For example, five kilometers from the finish, there was a crash at the back of the peloton, with the Norwegian Johannes Staune-Mittet being the biggest victim.

Still, the peloton passed safely through the winding final kilometer unscathed. Ultimately, in Lagos, we saw a chaotic sprint, where Noah Hobbs was brought up late by Marijn van den Berg. However, the Brit was no match for Paul Magnier, who dominated to take the stage win. Jordi Meeus again finished second, while Jasper Philipsen came in tenth.