Remco Evenepoel was in a race of his own on the stage 4 time trial of the Volta ao Algarve, but Ethan Hayter was very nearly the best of the rest. The Ineos rider took third on the stage, 1:06 down on the unassailable Evenepoel but just eight seconds off Stefan Küng, the European champion against the watch.
After placing third on the Alto da Fóia on stage 2, it was the latest demonstration of Hayter's remarkable dexterity. The 23-year-old is part of a wave of riders that have eschewed the specialisation of previous generations, but he defies all categorisation, flitting seamlessly from track to road, from sprinting to climbing.
Whatever the terrain, and whatever the circumstances, Hayter seems capable of pulling out a performance. His build-up to the 2022 season, after all, was stalled when COVID-19 forced him off the bike for a week in January and he hadn't expected to be in the mix on the Fóia. His performance in Saturday's 32.2km time trial leaves him in second place overall, his final position in this race last year.
"I had quite a tough day out there," Hayter said after rolling to a halt at the finish in Tavira. "After missing some base training and then doing two stage races in a row, I thought I might have been getting better in the last few days, but I had heavy legs today and I was struggling to get the effort out.
"You know, it's like you've not got much more in your legs but you're not breathing super hard at some stages. And then with the sun in my eyes at the end, I didn't want to take any risks, so it was pretty good."
Hayter's eight victories last season included the British time trial title, which came a few weeks after he had caught the eye with a fine 8th place in the event at the World Championships. His 2022 season, meanwhile, began with a spirited display in the prologue at Étoile de Bessèges, where only teammate Filippo Ganna surpassed his mark.
"The long time trials suit me," Hayter said. "For the British nationals, I did a lot more power for twenty more minutes. I enjoy these long time trials with some kicks in them, but I didn't quite have the legs today, which is kind of expected."
Last May, Hayter led the pandemic-delayed Volta ao Algarve into the final stage but he conceded the yellow jersey to home rider João Rodrigues on the Alto do Malhão. This time out, he will aim at least to retain his spot on the podium, though his Ineos squad will surely also be minded to try to ask questions of Evenepoel, given that Daniel Martinez lies 4th overall at 1:30. In Saturday's time trial, however, Evenepoel's superiority was not in doubt.
"There was a long section where I felt like I was going quite slowly. To be a minute behind, I'm really not surprised. It was quite expected," Hayter said, adding with considerable understatement: "Fair play to Remco, that time is quite good."
