Volta ao Algarve: Sam Bennett wins stage 1 sprint

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Sam Bennett won the opening stage of Volta ao Algarve after a typically exemplary lead-out from his Deceuninck-QuickStep team.

Despite a messy, technical final few kilometres, where two splits briefly occurred at the front of the peloton, Deceuninck-QuickStep still ensured both Davide Ballerini and Michael Morkov were able to lead Bennett out in the final kilometre. 

Danny Van Poppel (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux) sealed second place, with Jon Aberasturi (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) managing third.

“I’m pretty happy,” said Bennett at the finish. “I didn’t know how good the legs were going to be coming into this race after a short break. I was on the limit today, but the team did an incredible job. Even when they came down in crashes, they adapted to the situation and were able to do a fantastic job.”

The crash occurred 5km from the finish, when Bennett’s teammates Shane Archbold and Fabio Jakobsen came down, in an incident that caused a group of around 16 riders to open up a small gap over the rest of the peloton.

The two groups came back together a kilometre later, only for another four riders, including three from W52/FC Porto, to gain a few bike lengths after a motorcycle got in the way attempting to overtake the peloton as it narrowed going round a roundabout 3km from the finish.

They too were brought back, however, and Deceuninck-QuickStep were able to regain control at the front of the race at the crucial time, with Ballerini (who had also crashed earlier in the stage) moving to the front of the peloton as they reached the final roundabout of the stage inside the final kilometre, with Morkov and Bennett behind him.

“I just had to stay alert and try and stay upright,” explained Bennett in regards to this tense finale. “I put my trust in my teammates when they came back in the last 2k. It was hard in the end, my legs were kinda spent, but I managed to pull it off."

Despite winning the sprint comfortably ahead of Van Poppel, Bennett revealed that he actually didn’t feel very strong in the sprint, and felt as though he was lacking his best legs following a break from racing. 

“I have a lot of work to do after the sensations I got today. But it was a boost of confidence as I could still finish the job off.”

How it unfolded

Having been postponed from its usual February slot due to the pandemic, the Volta ao Algarve got underway today with a flat opening stage expected to end in a bunch sprint.

This later date in the year meant warmer conditions, and the temperature neared thirty degrees with barely a cloud in the sky.

Five riders got into the day’s break, all of them from non-WorldTour teams. They were: Carlos Canal (Burgos-BH), Jon Irisarri (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Gustavo Cesar (Atum General-Tavira-Maria Nova Hotel), Hugo Nunes (Rádio Popular Boavista) and Nicolas Paredes (Louletano-Loule Concelho).

Five became four, however, when Paredes crashed only a few kilometres after the break had formed. 

The peloton was happy to let them open up a gap, and the four remaining riders were free to contest the day’s intermediate sprints and sole categorised climb.

Irisarri and Nunes were the riders most interested in collecting these, with the former being first over the line on the climb and the first intermediate sprint, and the latter gaining maximum points over the latter two. 

By the time Nunes won the sprint for the last intermediate sprint, there was just under 30km left to ride, and the peloton were less than one minute behind, with Bora-Hansgrohe and Deceuninck-QuickStep keeping them at a safe distance.

Everything was quiet and under control, although Deceuninck-QuickStep suffered a blow when Davide Ballerini was one of five riders to be held up in a crash 26km from the finish.

Another crash occurred shortly afterwards, this time involving about half a dozen riders. Thankfully all were able to continue. 

The catch was made 19km from the finish, and shortly afterwards the sprinters teams started to mass at the front of the peloton, including Arkea-Samsic, Bora-Hansgrohe, Ineos Grenadiers and Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB.

The pace was high, but Peio Goikoetxea (Euskaltel Euskadi) attempted an attack 10km from the finish. He lasted a couple of kilometres, but the peloton was going too fast to allow him to survive any longer, with Ineos Grenadiers now at the front.

Caja Rural-Seguros RGA were leading the peloton when the first split occurred, and W52/FC Porto for the second, but inevitably it was Deceuninck-QuickStep who took over in the final kilometres to set Bennett up for the win.