2018 Volta ao Algarve explained

2018 Volta ao Algarve
Series:	2018 UCI Europe Tour
Date:	14–18 February 2018
Stages:	5
Distance:	773.5^[1]
Unit:	km
Time:	18h 54' 11"
First:	Michał Kwiatkowski
First Nat:	POL
Second:	Geraint Thomas
Second Nat:	GBR
Third:	Tejay van Garderen
Third Nat:	USA
Points:	Michał Kwiatkowski
Points Nat:	POL
Mountains:	Benjamin King
Mountains Nat:	USA
Youth:	Sam Oomen
Youth Nat:	NED
Previous:	2017
Next:	2019

The 2018 Volta ao Algarve was a road cycling stage race that took place in the Algarve region of Portugal between 14 and 18 February 2018. It was the 44th edition of the Volta ao Algarve and was rated as a 2.HC event as part of the UCI Europe Tour.^[2]

Teams

Twenty-five teams participated in the race: 13 UCI WorldTeams, 3 UCI Professional Continental teams and 9 UCI Continental teams, forming a field of 173 riders. Each team had a maximum of seven riders:^[3]

Route

Stage characteristics and winners^{[4] [5]}

Stage	Date	Course	Distance	Type		Stage winner
1	14 February	Albufeira to Lagos	192.6km (119.7miles)		Flat stage
2	15 February	Sagres (Vila do Bispo) to Fóia (mountain)	187.9km (116.8miles)		Mountain stage
3	16 February	Lagoa to Lagoa	20.3km (12.6miles)		Individual time trial
4	17 February	Almodôvar to Tavira	199.2km (123.8miles)		Flat stage
5	18 February	Faro to Alto do Malhão	173.5km (107.8miles)		Medium mountain stage

Stages

Stage 1

Stage 1 result^[6] Rank Rider Team Time 1 2 s.t. 3 s.t. 4 s.t. 5 s.t. 6 s.t. 7 s.t. 8 s.t. 9 s.t. 10 s.t.

General classification after Stage 1 Rank Rider Team Time 1 2 s.t. 3 s.t. 4 s.t. 5 s.t. 6 s.t. 7 s.t. 8 s.t. 9 s.t. 10 s.t.

Stage 2

Stage 2 result^[7] Rank Rider Team Time 1 2 s.t. 3 s.t. 4 s.t. DSQ s.t. 6 + 3" 7 s.t. 8 s.t. 9 s.t. 10 s.t.

General classification after Stage 2 Rank Rider Team Time 1 DSQ s.t. 3 s.t. 4 s.t. 5 s.t. 6 + 3" 7 s.t. 8 s.t. 9 s.t. 10 s.t.

Stage 3

Stage 3 result^[8] Rank Rider Team Time 1 2 + 11" 3 + 19" 4 + 22" 5 s.t. 6 + 27" 7 + 47" 8 + 49" 9 + 50" 10 + 51"

General classification after Stage 3 Rank Rider Team Time 1 2 + 22" 3 + 32" 4 + 52" 5 + 53" 6 + 1' 01" DSQ + 1' 18" 8 + 1' 19" 9 + 1' 20" 10 + 1' 24"

Stage 4

Stage 4 result^[9] Rank Rider Team Time 1 2 s.t. 3 s.t. 4 s.t. 5 s.t. 6 s.t. 7 s.t. 8 s.t. 9 s.t. 10 s.t.

General classification after Stage 4 Rank Rider Team Time 1 2 + 19" 3 + 32" 4 + 52" 5 + 53" 6 + 1' 01" DSQ + 1' 18" 8 + 1' 19" 9 + 1' 20" 10 + 1' 24"

Stage 5

Stage 5 result^[10] Rank Rider Team Time 1 2 + 4" 3 + 8" 4 + 13" 5 + 15" 6 + 17" 7 s.t. 8 + 23" 9 + 29" 10 + 35"

General classification after Stage 5 Rank Rider Team Time 1 2 + 1' 31" 3 + 2' 16" 4 + 2' 22" 5 + 2' 33" DSQ + 2' 49" 7 + 2' 50" 8 s.t. 9 + 2' 51" 10 + 2' 54"

Classification leadership table

In the 2018 Volta ao Algarve, four different jerseys were awarded. For the general classification, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage, and allowing time bonuses for the first three finishers at intermediate sprints and at the finish of mass-start stages, the leader received a yellow jersey.^[11] This classification was considered the most important of the 2018 Volta ao Algarve, and the winner of the classification was considered the winner of the race.

Additionally, there was a points classification, which awarded a red jersey.^[11] In the points classification, cyclists received points for finishing in the top 10 in a mass-start stage. For winning a stage, a rider earned 25 points, with 20 for second, 16 for third, 13 for fourth, 10 for fifth, 8 for sixth, 6 for seventh, 4 for eighth, 2 for ninth and 1 for tenth place. Points towards the classification could also be accrued at intermediate sprint points during each stage; these intermediate sprints also offered bonus seconds towards the general classification. There was also a mountains classification, the leadership of which was marked by a blue jersey.^[11] In the mountains classification, points were won by reaching the top of a climb before other cyclists, with more points available for the higher-categorised climbs.

The fourth jersey represented the young rider classification, marked by a white jersey.^[11] This was decided in the same way as the general classification, but only riders born after 1 January 1995 were eligible to be ranked in the classification. There was also a classification for teams, in which the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage were added together; the leading team at the end of the race was the team with the lowest total time.

scope=col width="1%"	Étape	scope=col width="14%"	Vainqueur	General classification	Mountains classification	Points classification	Young rider classification	Team classification
1	Dylan Groenewegen	Dylan Groenewegen	João Rodrigues	Dylan Groenewegen	Sam Oomen
2	Michał Kwiatkowski	Geraint Thomas	Benjamin King	Michał Kwiatkowski
3	Geraint Thomas
4	Dylan Groenewegen
5	Michał Kwiatkowski
Final

Notes and References

1. Web site: Volta ao Algarve (HC). BikeRaceInfo. 7 March 2019.
2. Web site: 2018 Volta ao Algarve . ProCyclingStats . 16 February 2018.
3. Web site: 2018 Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta - Startlist. FirstCycling. 3 March 2019.
4. Web site: 2018 Volta ao Algarve (HC), Portugal. BikeRaceInfo. 7 March 2019.
5. News: Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta 2018. Cycling News. 7 March 2019.
6. Web site: Volta ao Algarve: Groenewegen wins stage 1. Cycling News. 16 March 2019.
7. Web site: Volta ao Algarve: Kwiatkowski wins stage 2 mountain finish to Foia. Cycling News. 16 March 2019.
8. Web site: Volta ao Algarve: Thomas wins stage 3. Cycling News. 16 March 2019.
9. Web site: Volta ao Algarve: Groenewegen wins stage 4 sprint in Tavira. Cycling News. 16 March 2019.
10. Web site: Volta ao Algarve: Kwiatkowski wins the overall. Cycling News. 16 March 2019.
11. Web site: 43.ª Volta ao Algarve. PDF. 43rd Volta ao Algarve. Portuguese. Volta ao Algarve. Portuguese Cycling Federation. 17 February 2017.