Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck-QuickStep) won the GC title at 2020 Volta ao Algarve, with Max Schachmann (Bora -Hansgrohe) second and Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) third (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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The 47th annual Volta ao Algarve will see action in a new calendar slot for 2021, taking place May 5-9, moved from its traditional February dates. There are 25 teams confirmed to participate in Portugal for the five days of racing - seven WorldTeams, eight ProTeams, and 10 Continental category squads.
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Among the WorldTeams in the race are Deceuninck-Quick-Step, which won the overall title in 2020 with Remco Evenepoel, and Bora-Hansgrohe, which was second with Max Schachmann. Other WorldTeams are Ineos Grenadiers, UAE Team Emirates, AG2R Citroën, Groupama-FDJ and Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux.
Among the ProTeams are four groups from Spain - Burgos-BH, Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, Equipo Kern Pharma and Euskaltel-Euskadi - joining the French teams of Delko and Team Arkéa-Samsic, the Belgian Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB team and the US-based Rally Cycling squad.
The Volta ao Algarve is an opportunity for Continental teams to measure up against the best in the world, and organisers have invited one US team, Hagens Berman Axeon, and nine teams from the host country: Antarte-Feirense, Atum General-Tavira-Maria Nova Hotel, Efapel, Kelly-Simoldes-UDO, LA Alumínios-LA Sport, Louletano-Loulé Concelho, Rádio Popular-Boavista, Tavfer-Measindot-Mortágua and W52-FC Porto.
The US Continental Hagens Berman Axeon team alone has served as a development platform for Portuguese riders who now succeed on the WorldTour level - João Almeida, Rúben Guerreiro and the twins Ivo and Rui Oliveira. This year, there are two Portuguese riders on the US team who are expected to take part in the race, Diogo Barbosa and Pedro Andrade.
The race will cover a total of 775.8km over five days, with one time trial of 20.3km on the penultimate day. Two stages have mountaintoop finishes, stages 2 and 5, while stages 1 and 3 will be contested by the sprinters.
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