Volta ao Algarve stage 2 LIVE: João Almeida and Juan Ayuso poised to face-off at race’s Queen Stage

Paul Mangier, enjoying his day in yellow.

There's been a crash in the bunch, with a Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua going down.

The gap between the peloton and the break has stopped decreasing and is holding steady again at about 2:15.

110KM TO GO

João Almeida at the start today, with a couple of his UAE teammates. Last year, he let his teammate Jan Christen take the stage win, but this year he’ll surely want the win for himself as he chases overall victory.

A first look at some of the riders who have made it into the day's break.

The gap between the peloton and the break is no longer holding steady, but falling, down to 2:20.

The first of the day’s four climbs isn’t too far away - the Picota. The road rises lightly for a few kilometres, before ramping up to 7.9% for the final 1.4km to the summit. It’s the easiest of the day, and will be a chance for Contte to increase his lead in the KOM classification - or for another rider in the break to challenge him.

The break's lead has stopped growing, the peloton now working to make sure they keep it under control, but remains at a healthy lead of 3:30.

120KM TO GO

The finishing climb of Alto da Fóia might be familiar from previous editions of Volta ao Algarve, including last year when Jan Christen and João Almeida sealed a UAE 1-2, but this year the riders take it on from another side.

And it looks like it’ll be a significantly harder route to the top, with a steeper average gradient, making this a stage for the real climbers.

It’s very relaxed in the peloton. They’ve already allowed the break to build a lead of 3:40 - a bigger lead than at any point during yesterday's stage.

Incidentally, Castro Pinto is indeed back in the peloton.

So we have our break of the day, and no dangerous GC rider has managed to slip into it. They will need a big lead ahead of such a tough final climb to stand a chance of surviving to contest for the stage win.

130KM TO GO

Pedro Castro Pinto had tried to get into the break as a representative of the GI Group Holding - Simoldes - UDO team, but is dangling only a few seconds ahead of the bunch and is set to be reabsorbed.

The peloton is happy with the make-up of this break - they've sat up and allowed them a lead of over two minutes.

Those eight riders are:

Tomas Contte

Gorka Sorarrain

Enzo Leijnse

Iker Bonillo Martin

Nicolas Tivani

Leangel Linare

Hugo Nunes

Alexandre Montez

It's actually a group of 8 rather than 9 who are up the road, but they're growing their lead, now up to about 40 seconds.

Some of the names from yesterday's break are present again, including the King of the Mountains leader Tomas Contte.

A group of nine currently leads the race, albeit only with a slender lead of about 10 seconds on the peloton.

Our report on stage four of the UAE Tour.

The day’s four official climbs come later in the stage, but the road from the start is still undulating, which could shape the kind of riders that form the day’s break.

And (at last) they're off!

OFFICIAL START

Elsewhere in the cycling world, today’s stage of the UAE Tour has just come to an exciting finish. We’ll have a full report ready soon of how it went down.

This is a long neutralised section - 9.8km in total - so we’re still awaiting the flag to drop.

Here’s a glimpse of Portimão, where the riders are making their way through the neutralised zone.

Magnier alongside yesterday’s runner-up, Jordi Meeus, prior to the unofficial start.

The riders are mobile and making their way through the neutralised one, ahead of the official start.

Paul Magnier at the start, resplendent in the leader's yellow jersey.

Some housekeeping from yesterday’s stage - Santiago Mesa was relegated from 5th to 157th at the finish, having nearly caused Arnaud De Lie to crash, bumping the latter up to fifth.

The summit finish will be Alto da Fóia, a mountain familiar from previous editions of the Volta ao Algarve as the destination of the second stage. Averaging 6.2% and lasting a lengthy 8.8km, it will be the toughest climb most of the riders competing have faced so far this season.

Magnier won’t remain in the leader’s jersey by the end of the day, however. It might only be stage two, but the severity of the summit finish makes this the race’s Queen Stage, which will prompt all of the GC hopefuls into action.

Paul Magnier wears the leader’s jersey today after his excellent sprint finish yesterday, against an illustrious field of sprinters that also included Jasper Philipsen. It felt like a statement result from the young Frenchman, and a sign that his talent is blossoming yet more in this new season.

Volta ao Algarve: Paul Magnier rockets to stage 1 victory as Soudal-QuickStep control final kilometre

Hello and welcome to stage two of the Volta ao Algarve!