Volta ao Algarve: Ethan Hayter wins stage 2

Image 1 of 25

Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) took victory on stage 2 of the Volta ao Algarve, triumphing from an elite group at the summit finish of the Alto da Fóia to take the race lead. The 22-year-old beat João Rodrigues (W52-Porto) in a dash to the line, with Jonathan Lastra (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) rounding out the podium.

The Briton made the cut at the front of the race as eventual fourth-placed man Elié Gesbert (Arkéa-Samsic) kicked off the attacks on the climb, riding the final kilometres in a select group of six alongside those men and two teammates in the form of Iván Sosa and Sebastián Henao.

While Rodrigues' teammate Amaro Antunes chased behind, Ineos wouldn't let up in their pacemaking, with Henao and Sosa both pushing on at the front to dissuade attacks and keep the group at a maximum of the six riders already present.

Sosa peeled off the front just outside the 200-metre mark, leaving Hayter on his own to face off against the trio from rival teams. He led from the front, launching at 125 metres to go with nobody able to come around him in the sprint for the line.

With no time bonuses in the race, Hayter now holds his first race leader's jersey as a professional, lying on the same time as Rodrigues and Lastra. Saturday's Lagoa time trial on stage 4 will be the next GC flashpoint, with Hayter expected to extend his overall lead.

How it unfolded

The second stage of the rescheduled Volta ao Algarve saw the peloton take on a 182.8-kilometre route from the town of Sagres to the traditional summit finish of the Alto da Fóia. Much of the action would be packed into the final quarter of the stage, with the first 150 kilometres features only two intermediate sprints and a third-category climb.

The third-category climb to Alferce (5.7km at 6.5 per cent) came at 156 kilometres, following by more climbing and descending on the the road to Monchique at the base of the final climb, including the second-category Pomba (3.5km at 8.1 per cent). The final climb, a first-category test, averages 5.8 per cent for its 7.7 kilometres.

A crash in the neutralised section at the start of the stage didn't delay proceedings much, and before long, a group of eight riders were on the move, quickly getting away inside the first 10 kilometres and establishing themselves as the break of the day.

Damien Touzé (AG2R Citroën) was the sole WorldTour representative out front, and the Frenchman was joined by Kenny Molly (Bingoal-Pauwels Sauces-Wallonie Bruxelles), Clément Carisey (Delko), Xabier Azparren (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Fábio Costa (Efapel), Joe Laverick (Hagens Berman Axeon), Marvin Scheulen (LA Aluminios-LA Sport), and Samuel Caldeira (w52-Porto) out front.

The peloton was at ease, letting the group rider off into the distance, to the point where the gap had ballooned to over seven minutes after just 20 kilometres of racing. UAE Team Emirates were heading up the bunch, with home favourite Rui Costa among the favourites for success on Fóia.

Caldeira took the first sprint of the day after 40 kilometres, followed shortly after by the third-category Marmelete, where Molly led Touzé and Laverick over the top. A quiet day out on the road meant the middle of the stage saw little action, though the gap had come down to 5:30 at the 100-kilometre mark.

At the second and final intermediate sprint of the stage, Scheulen led the way in the break. Shortly afterwards, Azparren's day was done as the Basque rider dropped back from the eight-man move as UAE and Arkéa-Samsic put in the work in the peloton.

By the time the seven men remaining in front moved from the flat roads to the climb to Alferce – the first of the difficulties in the finale – their gap was down under three minutes as Ineos Grenadiers moved to the front.

At that point, some 28 kilometres from the line, riders were already being spat out the rear of the peloton, with sprinters and other non-climbers dropping back. Some 1:30 up the road, Molly beat Touzé in a sprint to the climb of the climb, taking the points and with it the mountain classification jersey into stage 3.

The duo and Caldeira kept going up front, pushing on ahead of their break-mates until the W52-Porto train brought them back on the Pomba climb with 18 kilometres to go. In the meantime, Rui Costa had fallen out of contention, crashing on a descent.

Deceuninck-QuickStep's Kasper Asgreen had also set to work at the front, pushing a high pace among the W52 riders on the run to the foot of Fóia. The Portuguese team, along with Radio Popular, were in control in Monchique as the road reared upwards for the final eight kilometres.

Joan Bou (Euskaltel-Euskadi) was the first man to make a move on the climb, striking out with 6.5 kilometres to go before being brought back a kilometre later as Arkéa-Samsic moved to the front. The status quo remained until Gesbert went on the move at the four-kilometre mark.

That attack forced a selection up front, with Ineos Grenadiers leading the way as Sosa, Hayter and Henao joined Rodrigues in the lead quintet. Lastra joined them just outside the two-kilometre mark, as Henao was tasked with setting the pace on the front.

Into the final kilometre, the Colombian continued to fend off any attacks from Ineos' rivals as Sosa dropped back, his job done. Nobody was able to make a move and derail the British squad's plans, leaving Hayter in the perfect place to capitalise.

He and 2019 Volta a Portugal winner Rodrigues were the quickest of the group, but Hayter led from the front and had enough pace to cross the line a bike length ahead of second place.