The Angolan athletes from the professional team of the Tavira Cycling Club – Banco BIC/Carmim – Walter da Silva and Igor Silva demonstrate, day after day, an enormous capacity for work and a lot of perseverance in this 75th Tour of Portugal Liberty Seguros.
Coming from a country with little tradition in cycling, the cyclists stand out in a platoon with vast experience such as Volta a Portugal.
On the day that linked Sertã to Castelo Branco, Angola's national champion, Igor Silva, ended the journey of 180 kilometers, 1 minute and 17 seconds behind the winner Daniel Maxime (Sojasun).
Walter da Silva, roller, has also managed to overcome the difficulties of each shot of the biggest national competition, even those that include first category mountain counts, whose tracks have characteristics that do not match the athlete's profile.
Bruno Sancho was in the group of the first fifteen athletes to reach Castelo Branco, and crossed the finish line in 11th position, with the same time as the winner. The cyclist from Banco BIC/Carmim was even the best athlete in an Algarve formation in what was the 6th stage of the Volta.
In the overall standings, it is Henrique Casimiro who is ahead of the Tavirense fleet, in 18th position, 1 minute and 43 seconds behind the Yellow Jersey Sérgio Pardilla (MTN/Qhubeca).
The best Algarvian in General continues to be Rui Vinhas, from Louletano/Dunas Douradas, in 12th.
This Thursday, the seventh stage will be run, of 176.3 kilometers, between Termas de Monfortinho and Gouveia. This is a shot with a high degree of difficulty, since in the middle are installed a mountain count of first category in Penhas da Saúde, another second in Penhas Douradas, and another two of fourth, the last in the final goal.
French Sprint
It was a sprint discussed at high speed on the cobbled floor of Castelo Branco that marked, this Wednesday, the end of the 6th stage of the 75th edition of the Volta a Portugal Liberty Seguros.
Frenchman Maxime Daniel (Sojasun) was the winner and, with the peloton timed at the same time, Sergio Pardilla (MTN / Qhubeka) kept the ex equo lead with Rui Sousa (Efapel / Glassdrive).
“The most important thing is that we are one more day in yellow. We had a lot of difficulties during the stage. It was very hot, but otherwise it wouldn't be the Volta a Portugal”, confessed Sergio Pardilla, the leader of the individual general classification.
After a first threat in the 1st stage, this time in Castelo Branco, 22-year-old Maxime Daniel did not hesitate and hit Andrea Piechele (Ceramica Flaminia/Fondriest) and Fábio Silvestre (Leopard/Trek).
After the triumph, the Frenchman explained that “the objective was to win this stage and the strategy was built during the course, namely with the presence of the team in the day's escape. The work was formidable in the way we prepared the final sprint.”
the day's escape
After the rest day, the 6th stage left Sertã towards Castelo Branco. They had covered 12 kilometers and the quintet that staged the day's escape was already pedaling in isolation.
Among the more advanced runners were two Portuguese, Amaro Antunes (Ceramica Flaminia/Fondriest) and André Mourato (LA Alumínios/Atarte).
Also in the group were the Chilean Louletano/Dunas Douradas, Carlos Oyarzun, Jean-Lou Paiani (Sojasun) and Pavel Kochetkov (Rusvelo). The latter, a Frenchman and a Russian, were the last to resist the flight.
Two kilometers from the end, after fierce pursuit of the platoon commanded by Caja Rural, the block prepared to attack the finish line.
On the cobblestone of Avenida Nuno Álvares, in Castelo Branco, where in the past there were so many exciting endgames of the Volta stage, Maxime Daniel (Sojasun) was faster, making his first year as a professional.
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