Ineos Grenadiers have named a strong squad for this week's Volta ao Algarve, with Tom Pidcock making his 2022 road season debut alongside former winner Geraint Thomas and last year's runner-up, Ethan Hayter.
Pidcock has been training in the same region of southern Portugal since returning to Europe from the USA with the cyclo-cross world champion's rainbow jersey in his luggage.
The 22-year-old is gearing up for a packed Spring Classics schedule, starting with the 'Opening Weekend' in Belgium on February 26-27 and running right through to Liège-Bastogne-Liège in late April, shortly followed by his second Grand Tour appearance at the Giro d'Italia.
Likewise, former Tour de France winner Thomas will get underway in a season that could see him return to leading the line at the Tour, given Egan Bernal is now facing an extended spell on the sidelines following his recent life-threatening crash.
Thomas won the Tour de Romandie and finished on the podium at Catalunya and the Dauphiné last year but crashed out of contention early on at the Tour. After extensive negotiations to renew his contract at Ineos, he'll be eager to rebuild the sort of stage racing momentum he enjoyed last spring - and to do so at a race he won back-to-back in 2015 and 2016.
The five-day Volta ao Algarve will be an important preparation race both Pidcock and Thomas, but they may not be expected to shoulder responsibility for results. In that respect, Hayter could lead the line as he did last year.
The 23-year-old won the hilltop finish on the Alto de Foia last year but lost the overall title on the final day's finish at Malhao. He already has a few days of racing under his belt at the Tour de la Provence, where he finished a strong second behind teammate Filippo Ganna in the opening time trial but failed to figure thereafter.
The seven-man Ineos squad for the Volta ao Algarve also contains Dylan van Baarle as he gears up for a spring spent alongside Pidcock. Jonathan Castroviejo brings domestique experience while Daniel Martínez kicks off his European campaign after training in Colombia with Bernal and winning the national time trial title there last week.
Finally, the squad is rounded out by Ben Tulett, another young Brit who could follow in the footsteps of Pidcock and Hayter. The highly-rated 20-year-old joined the team in the winter from Alpecin-Fenix and made his debut at the recent Tour de la Provence.
