Volta ao Algarve stage 1 – LIVE

Welcome to Cycling News’ live coverage of stage 1 at the Volta ao Algarve.

We’re about 20 minutes away from the start of what is arguably the most star-studded race of the 2025 season so far — the Volta ao Algarve.

Most notably, the race sees two of the peloton’s most famous riders make their season bows for 2025 – Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič.

For Vingegaard, this will be his first time racing since all the way back last August, at the Tour of Poland. He was both physically and mentally exhausted by then, after a season severely affected by his horror crash in the spring.

If he’s feeling fresh, he could be unstoppable. At his season opener last year, O Gran Camiño, he won three out of the four stages en route to overall victory.

The riders are currently making their way through the lengthy 4.7km neutralised one, but will be racing for real soon.

Vingegaard’s main rival for the GC is likely to be his old teammate, Primož Roglič. Roglič was another whose 2024 season was compromised by injury, but he remained as prolific as ever in the race’s he did manage to finish, winning GC in two out of three of them.

192KM REMAINING

And we’re off!

Vingegaard, Roglič and co will be more focussed on surviving today, rather than trying to gain any time. The parcours is mostly flat, which should make this a day for the sprinters.

Rafael Durães, one of the riders representing the local Portuguese Rádio Popular – Paredes – Boavista team, has had to deal with a rear wheel problem.

Here’s a glimpse of some of the riders in the peloton at the start today.

8 riders have got up the road and got a small gap.

All but 2 of those riders are Portuguese, representing a variety of the many lower tier local teams competing this week.

Over 30 seconds now for the leading octet. It seems we may have our break of the day.