The 2023 Volta ao Algarve has been a typically hard one to predict, with the purest of climbers, the heaviest of rouleurs, and all in between considered capable of walking away with the overall title. After the first summit finish on the Alto da Foia failed to create make much meaningful difference, the general consensus was that the double dose of the Alto do Malhao – a shorter but steeper climb – would help clear things up ahead of the final 24.4km time trial on Sunday.
To a certain extent, it did, but the race remains delicately poised and able to fall a number of ways.
“There are till a lot of possible winners, a lot of options open,” said Magnus Cort, who slipped out of the overall lead down to eighth but still harbours hopes of clawing back a couple of places in a rare foray up the business end of a stage race.
Tom Pidcock is the rider who has replaced Cort in the yellow jersey, courtesy of his victory atop Malhao, but his inexperience against the clock means it sits far from securely on his shoulders.
The two riders currently occupying the lower steps of the virtual podium – Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal-QuickStep) and Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) – are both within striking distance and both more than capable time trialllists. Van Wilder sits second at five seconds after placing third on Malhao but, like Pidcock, has an air of mystery over his time trialling given, as he explained to Cyclingnews on Thursday, he hasn’t ridden one in anger in two years.
“But maybe it’s like cycling; you never lose it,” he said. “I’m not scared of anybody. I will give my all and see where it brings me on GC.”
Almeida, second on the stage and third overall at seven seconds, is a proven time triallist, without a win at international level bit with a string of podiums and top-fives at major races.
“It’s a bit uncertain, there are a lot of good time triallists here. I’m just going to give everything I have and then I’m going to be happy for sure.”
Behind the podium lie a pair of Bora-Hansgrohe climbers, Sergio Higuita and Jai Hindley, who will surely only drop away, while Rui Costa (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) sits sixth at 22 seconds, in the best form he’s had for years and with a history of decent TT efforts when there’s a GC interest.
In seventh place is one of three remaining options for Ineos Grenadiers after Thymen Arensman suffered another untimely puncture and faded from view on Malhao. Dani Martinez followed the moves being Pidcock on the climb and placed sixth on the…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…