2022 Volta ao Algarve Stage 1 Results & Recap
Stage 1 of the 2022 Volta ao Algarve is in the books. The final results and standings are below, followed by our recap of how the race unfolded.
Race Recap
Fabio Jakobsen wins the opening leg of the Volta ao Algarve 2022. The QuickStep-AlphaVinyl rider won the sprint at the Lagos finish line, repeating the result he had already achieved in 2019 and 2020 at the same goal. The Dutch sprinter imposed himself in the sprint ahead of Jordi Meeus and Bryan Coquard, with Alexander Kristoff finishing in fourth position and complaining of being closed at the hurdles by the Belgian rider, who was in fact then downgraded by the jury, with the French and Norwegian respectively second and third in the final finishing order. The smile for the blue colors, on the other hand, comes from Michele Gazzoli, who finished the stage in fourth position. However, the escape did not take long to form, with Asier Etxeberria (EUS), Fábio Oliveira (CDF) Hugo Nunes (RPB) and João Matias (TAV) receiving the green light after less than twenty kilometers of running. Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team, Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux and Alpecin-Fenix, however, do not seem willing to take any risks, quickly finding an agreement to limit the delay from the leading quartet to a maximum of 3'20 ". The race ends after having covered 41.8 kilometers, also facing the first GPM, which sees Nunes pass first in front of Matias and Etxeberria.
In the following hour the group keeps the fugitives on a short leash, swinging the gap around the two minutes, before giving a little margin again during the second GPM of the day, on the ramps of which the attackers fight. picked up by Matias (who climbs first) and Etxeberria, while Oliveira, who had detached himself during the climb, only returns to the short descent following the GPM.
Aggio of the attackers reaches up to 3'30 ", but the sprinter teams do not want to risk and at the next flying finish line the gap has already dropped to 1'15". The usual three teams continue, while doing a bit of elastic, to recover ground and at -50 from the finish the gap is already only 50 ", so that the group decides to slow down and let the fugitives return to gain. The attackers, however, have no more and are caught immediately after the passage to the second flying finish line, 36 kilometers from the finish, with the group accelerating also taking advantage of the wind. a fall in the middle of the group cuts the platoon in half, leaving a group of less than fifty in front. The QuickStep-AlphaVinyl takes command of the situation and at -2 an acceleration from Remco Evenepoel begins the long preparation for the sprint. The men of the Wolfpack are not then surprised by an extension of a Trek-Segafredo man and immediately go to close, also creating a small hole behind the very first ones. In the final straight the sprint is launched perfectly for Fabio Jakobsen, who wins without anyone getting off the wheel, while behind him are sparks between Jordi Meeus (who will then be downgraded after finishing second on the finish line), and Alexander Kristoff, with the Norwegian who complains of being closed to the barriers and closes behind Bryan Coquard, second in the final order of arrival. Behind them, Michele Gazzoli is the best Italian with a splendid fifth place, then transformed into fourth after the downgrading of Meeus.
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