Volta ao Algarve 2022 – GC Preview
Stage 1
The first stage will be one for the sprinters.
Stage 2
Fóia has been used in the last six editions. We have Picota before it, which is a new addition and has not been used before. Normally, we see the first gaps between the GC favorites.
Stage 3
It will be another day for the sprinters.
Stage 4
They have a TT again this year – something I like to see in weeklong races. They have made it 11.9 km longer than the last three editions, a big advantage for the TT riders.
Stage 5
Malhao to finish the race. It has been used 15 times since 2003. They use the 2020 finish, which means we have double Malhao 24 km apart. It is steep and explosive.
Weather
Good weather for the riders in Algarve.
Contenders
INEOS have their usual strong team when we have week-long races. Looking at the team, I would point at Ethan Hayter. However, he has not trained much this year due to Covid, which results in Besseges reflects. Martinez is not a strong starter, and nor is G. Pidcock does not have the strongest TT which is a huge problem. They should be able to put their numbers to good use but I do not think they will win the GC.
Ion Izagirre now rides for Cofidis. It will take some time to get used to. Izagirre is normally very good early in the season, especially 2020 and 2019 were good years for him in February. He might lack the level to follow the very best on Foia and Malhao but he does pack a decent TT that should keep in contention for a good result overall.
Higuita does not have a good enough TT to fight for the overall.
Gaudu – see above
Foss is in the same boat as Izagirre. I think he will have a hard time not losing time on the two mountain top finishes. However, he will be one of the very best against the clock. The longer TT suits him. I hope to see him finish safely within the top-10.
Evenepoel has won here before. He has all the right attributes. The long TT is very good news for him, he will put time into his opponents – dare I say all of them. He is the man to beat.
McNulty has had a strong start to the season. I think he will finish on the podium, simply due to his strong TT. UAE starts with only four riders, which is a big problem for him.
Who will win?
Remco Evenepoel.
The TT will see bigger time gaps than Foia and Malhao. He will be very hard to shake on the climbs and very difficult to beat against the clock.
