As it happened: A hectic sprint opener at the Volta ao Algarve
Gerben Thijssen beats Marijn van den Berg to the line after a quiet 200km stage 1
- How to watch the 2024 Volta ao Algarve
- Evenepoel versus the world at Volta ao Algarve – Analysis
Result
- Volta ao Algarve: Gerben Thijssen fastest in opening sprint stage to take first leader's jersey
Hello and welcome to our first live coverage of the 2024 European road season, the opening stage of the Volta ao Algarve!
The opening stage runs a 200km circuitous route in the east of the southern Portuguese region, heading inland from Portimão and heading east to Lagos for a likely sprint finish.
There are two climbs on the route today, though both come in the opening half of the stage.
The fourth-category Aldeia dos Matos (1.9km at 5.2%) and third-category Nave (5.9km at 4.2%) will give the breakaway a chance to battle over the climber's jersey, and shouldn't affect the outcome of the stage.
We're just under an hour away from the start of the stage.
You can take a look at the race start list below.
Our pick of the star names lining up to take the start today...
Remco Evenepoel, Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep); Dani Martínez, Sergio Higuita, Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe); Wout van Aert, Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease A Bike); Tao Geoghegan Hart, Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek); Tom Pidcock, Geraint Thomas, Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers); Isaac Del Toro, Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates); Ben Healy, Rui Costa (EF Education-EasyPost); Stefan Küng, Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ); Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Hotels); Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility).
The likes of Van Aert, Meeus, Démare could all feature in the final today.
Watch out for Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty), Edward Theuns, Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek), Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost), Marius Mayrhofer (Tudor Pro Cycling), Marc Sarreau (Groupama-FDJ), Casper van Uden (DSM-Firmenich PostNL), among others, too.
The official race start comes in 20 minutes, though the real start is a little later after the end of the neutral rollout.
Some news from elsewhere on the Iberian Peninsula today...
Ruta del Sol opening stage cancelled due to farmer protests
While over in the Middle East, the Tour of Oman drew to a close with a summit finish on Green Mountain a few hours ago...
Tour of Oman: Adam Yates wins on Green Mountain to seal overall victory
Back in Portugal, Remco Evenepoel meets some fans ahead of the start.
...so too does Wout van Aert.
Riders also do the media rounds at sign-on before heading to the start line.
That's our reporter Alasdair Fotheringham on the right getting the latest from Vuelta a España champion Sepp Kuss.
10 minutes to the stage 1 start!
Our race preview pits superstar and two-time winner Remco Evenepoel against the world, or at least the rest of the peloton. Can he start his 2024 campaign – heading towards a Tour de France debut – with another stage race victory?
Remco Evenepoel versus the world at Volta ao Algarve – Analysis
2023 winner Dani Martínez is ready to defend his title this week.
The riders have now rolled out to start the 2024 Volta ao Algarve! A 4.7km neutral zone to start the race.
200km to go
Here we go! The flag has dropped and the 2024 Volta ao Algarve is underway.
Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel chat ahead of the stage 1 start.
A puncture for Visma-Lease A Bike neo-pro Per Strand Hagenes in the early kilometres of the stage.
193km to go
No breakaway just yet as the riders race away from Portimão.
10km have passed now and still no riders have managed to escape.
187km to go
Now some action as several riders jump from the peloton!
Tobias Bayer (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is among them.
The Austrian is joined by a swathe of riders from the local Continental teams.
Fábio Costa (ABTF Betão-Feirense), Tomas Contte (Aviludo-Louletano-Loulé-Concelho), Diogo Narciso (Credibom-LA Aluminios-Marcos Car), Noah Campos (Kelly-Simoldes-UDO), César Fonte (Rádio Popular-Paredes-Boavista), and Gonçalo Amado (Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua) are also in the move.
Five Portuguese riders and an Argentinian (Contte) join Bayer out front.
Fonte is only rider with a professional win to his name in the move. He has a stage apiece at the 2012 Volta a Portugal and 2018 GP Beiras e Serra da Estrela to his name. Bayer has won two Austrian time trial titles at U23 level, meanwhile.
179km to go
Three minutes between the break and the peloton.
The gap continues to edge up as the kilometres pass by. It's up to 3:45 for the seven riders now.
Geraint Thomas is making his season debut this week as he gears up for a bid at the Giro-Tour double later this year.
He recently spoke about his longevity, the rise of young riders in the peloton, and a lack of respect in modern road racing.
Geraint Thomas: 'It's as if it's junior or U23 racing. There's less respect'
Arkéa-B&B Hotels and Intermarché-Wanty among the teams leading the peloton currently.
Our first look at the break of the day.
164km to go
The leaders are hitting the first climb of the race, the fourth-category Aldeia dos Matos, now.
Conte leads the way over the top of the climb for the first three KOM points of the race.
Fonte and Amado collect two and one points in second and third.
150km to go
The gap to the break continues to hold at around the 3:30 mark.
Arkéa's Martin Tjøtta leading the peloton.
It's a quiet period in the middle of the stage as the riders traverse mostly flat ground.
The next, and final, climb of the day comes in just under 40km.
133km to go
Three minutes between break and peloton. All seven men still up front.
The peloton speeding along during stage 1.
Olivier Le Gac (Groupama-FDJ) stops with a puncture in the peloton.
The climb of Nave is coming up soon.
114km to go
The climb is 5.9km long at an average of 4.2%.
It's a third-category hill and will decide the first mountain classification jersey of the race.
The breakaway riders are on the climb of Nave now.
Narciso and Campos have been dropped from the breakaway on the way up.
Bayer, Costa, Contte, Fonte, Amado remain in the lead, still over three minutes up on the peloton.
Contte leads the way to the top once again. That's another four points for the Argentinean and he's on seven for the day.
Amado and Bayer follow him across the summit as Narciso gets back across to the leaders.
With the final climb of the day done, we can take a look at the mountain classification standings after stage 1...
Tomas Contte (Aviludo-Louletano-Loulé Concelho), 7
Gonçalo Amado (Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Boavista), 4
César Fonte (Rádio Popular-Paredes-Boavista), 2
Tobias Bayer (Alpecin-Deceuninck), 2
96km to go
The stage heads into the second half and the final 100km. No more climbs left to take on.
Amado is back among the breakaway, making it six up front. Noah Campos didn't make it back and he's now 1:30 down on his former breakmates.
The peloton lies at 3:30 down on the lead group.
The peloton out on the road during stage 1.