Cold and Windy Queen Stage at Volta ao Algarve

Race: Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta, stage 21

Start/Finish: Lagoa /Alto da Fóia

Distance: 198.6k kilometers

Thursday’s Volta ao Algarve queen stage 2 kicked off with an early seven-man breakaway that included Oliver Naesen (IAM Cycling), Sean De Bie (Lotto Soudal), Jonathan Lastra (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Alberto Cecchin (Team Roth), Jonas Koch (Verva ActiveJet), Gregory Rast (Trek-Segafredo) and Ricardo Mestre (W52/FC Porto).

Photo Gallery

Team Novo Nordisk’s stage 2 strategy was to put Javier Megias among the leaders in the peloton at the beginning of the last climb. “We executed our plan,” said Team Novo Nordisk Senior Vice President of Athletics, Vassili Davidenko, “and Javier was looking good. But with 4km to go, Javi suffered some cramps and had to ride at tempo.”

Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) took the summit finish atop a cold and windy Alto da Foia, edging out Geraint Thomas (Sky) and Slovenian Primoz Roglic (LottoNl-Jumbo), and Megias finished as Team Novo Nordisk’s best-placed rider at 35th, 4:43 behind Sanchez.

“No one expected such a hard stage so early in the season,” Davidenko went on to say. “Our guys did well managing the narrow roads, steep climbs and strong wind. I am satisfied with the overall performance of the team at this stage of the year. They are looking strong- their form is growing and we’re setting our sites on some important targets later in the year.”

Results:

• 1st: Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana Pro Team), 5:08:25
• 2nd: Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) 00:01 behind Sanchez
• 3rd: Primoz Roglic (Team LottoNl-Jumbo), 00:03, behind Sanchez

Team Novo Nordisk Results:

• 35th: Javier Megias, 04:43
• 50th: David Lozano, 08:26
• 91st: Charles Planet, 15:51
• 146th: Joonas Henttala, 24:49
• 147th: Martijn Verschoor, “
• 148th: Stephen Clancy, “
• 151st: Andrea Peron, “
• DNF: Corentin Cherhal

Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first all-diabetes pro cycling team, continues racing on Friday’s stage 2 at Le Tour de Filipinas.

(Photos: ©TDWSport)