‘There was a real line to cross this time’ – Stage 1 Volta ao Algarve bunch sprint ‘winner’ Jordi Meeus enjoy true victory on third stage

It has been 48 hours since Jordi Meeus thought he had a bunch sprint ‘victory’ in stage 1 of the Volta ao Algarve, only to discover he and a large proportion of the peloton had been sent off course. On stage 3’s finish in Tavira, the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider was the fastest once again – with the rather important difference that this time round, the triumph was his for keeps.

Last year’s Tavira stage winner Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) was boxed in, but Belgium still had something to cheer about as Van Aert’s compatriot Meeus set his record straight in style on the slightly rising Avenida Zeca Alfonso.