This Friday, Sam Bennett won the third stage of the Volta ao Algarve, which called Faro to Tavira. In a tirade that decided to sprint, the Deceuninck-Quick Step cyclist repeated the victory achieved in the first stage, in Portimão.
In the longest run in the Algarve, with 203,3 kilometers of very hot weather, Bennett showed that he was in shape and also reinforced his leadership in the points classification, keeping the Crédito Agrícola Green Jersey. The yellow jersey remains Ethan Hayter.
Deceuninck-Quick-Step were so domineering in preparing for the final meters that they even saw Michael Morkov, one of the pitchers, not only working for Bennett, but then taking third place. Danny van Poppel (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) was again second.
The Portuguese Rui Oliveira and Iúri Leitão repeated the top ten, but this time the UAE Team Emirates cyclist was the best Portuguese (eighth), with the one from Tavfer-Measindot-Mortágua being ninth.
The first hour of the race, after the start of Faro, was taken at 46,4 kilometers/hour.
Afterwards, the pace dropped a little, but there were no moments of relaxation in the pack.
At kilometer 17, a quartet began the day's escape, with Jetse Bol (Burgos-BH), Julen Irizar (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Javier Moreno (Efapel) and Henrique Casimiro (Kelly-Simoldes-UDO) distributing the goals among them steering wheels and the two mountain classifications, until they are picked up 11 kilometers from the finish.
Moreno won at Portela da Corcha, with Casimiro taking first place at Cachopo. Both climbs were third-rate. However, the Algarve's João Rodrigues (W52-FC Porto), kept the Blue Jersey Lusíadas.
Lap leader Ineos Grenadiers controlled the distance for the breakout, which lasted around five minutes, but with Deceuninck-QuickStep and Bora-Hansgrohe helping, thinking about sprint preparation for Sam Bennett and Pascal Ackermann (fifth in Tavira), respectively.
In the final kilometres, a fall startled the peloton, with Iván Ramiro Sosa, cyclist who is fifth to nine seconds behind his teammate in the general classification, and Luís Fernandes (Rádio Popular-Boavista), ninth to 35 seconds, getting involved.
César Martingil, from Atum General-Tavira-Maria Nova Hotel, was the best cyclist of the Algarve teams in the competition today, finishing the stage in 13th place, 2 seconds from the winner.
This Saturday is the time trial, before the climb to Malhão, on Sunday. The traditional Lagoa course (20,3 kilometers) will test whoever wants to win in general.
Algarve's Camisola Amarela Turismo, Ethan Hayter, João Rodrigues and Jonathan Lastra (Caja Rural) have the same time overall. And between the first and the 19th, Sean Quinn (Hagens Berman Axeon) – holder of the IPDJ White Jersey – is 48 seconds.
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