Departure from Lisbon, final in Gaia, passage through Spain, minus the mountains and a big unknown called W52-FC Porto. This is the 83rd edition of Volta a Portugal on the bike, which was presented on Friday at the City Hall of the capital.
With a total distance of 1559.7 km, the race starts on August 4 and ends on August 15 with the 18.6 km time trial in Gaia, which, in case of small differences in the overall standings, can determine the winner.
The greatest attention is paid to the profile of the competition. Which will have fewer “peaks”. Only three stages finish high: Torre (Serra da Estrela) on day 3; Miranda do Corvo, who debuted in heat 5; and Senhora da Graça on the eve of the final chrono. Otherwise, the organization has reduced seven mountain points from last year’s edition, and now there are 26.
The innovation will also be the start of a stage in Spain, more precisely in Badajoz, in a race that will end in the city of Castelo Branco and which precedes the ascent of the Tower.
As for the Volta peloton, there are still no WoldTour teams, a category that includes the best teams in the world. But among the 19 registered there is W52-FC Porto. A big question mark, as eight out of eleven cyclists are suspended (for 120 days) by the ADoP as part of “Operation Prova Limpa”. Joaquim Gomez, race director, said on Friday that the presence of the W52-FC Porto is “fundamental to Portuguese cycling”.
Author: Mario Pereira
Source: CM Jornal
