21 May 2024

The under-23 team heads to the Volta a Portugal do Futuro

31 Volta a Portugal do Futuro

From 23rd to 26th of May

Following a great weekend in Galicia with two victories of Pablo García to close the Copa de España in a better way, the under-23 team is focused on the Volta a Portugal do Futuro. The Portuguese stage race will be disputed from Thursday to Sunday with a mountain top finish that will mark the race.

Portugal, which will be the second trip of the structure to the neighbouring country during 2024 after the participation of the junior squad in the Volta ao Concelho de Loulé, will also be the third country that the under-23 team will visit after Italy and France. Luca Bagnara, Martín Barrero, Gerard Cano, Dario Giuliano, Antonio González and Gabriele Raccagni will travel after competing in Galicia, and Alex García will join them replacing Pablo García.

The stages will run through all types of terrain with flat and medium mountainous terrain and even a mountain top finish in a first category climb. The first day and, a priori the easiest, will start from Leiria with a stage of 139 kilometres with only a mountainous difficulty of 3 kilometres. A day that should follow a script with a predictable sprint finish. The second day, on the other hand, will have a completely different profile and a greater presence of the mountain. 116 kilometres will separate the start in Murtosa and the finish at Serra de Sao Macario in Sao Pedro do Sul. The final climb with a demanding average gradient of over 9% will mark the outcome of the stage and, probably of the general classification.

The third day of competition starting in Gois and finishing in Pombal will be 141 kilometres long. The stage will start with four climbs during the first sixty kilometres. From the very first moment they will start to climb the Serra de Lousa which they will crown to face the descent and the next climb. The finish will be more favorable than the start despite the third category climb to Ereiras where the race could become difficult for some riders who had suffered at the start. The fourth and last day of competition between Fugueiró dos Vinhos and Caldas da Rainha will be 147 kilometres long, being the stage with the longest distance of the race. Despite having three climbs during the first third of the route, the stage looks set to have a sprint finish.

“We are returning to the Volta Portugal do Futuro six or seven years later, the second time we are racing on this race. It’s a tough race. The team that will go to the Volta Portugal will be very similar to the one that will take part in the Giro. It will be a tune-up and a test for the legs. Both Antonio Gonzalez and Martin Barbero have shown that they are close to the peak of their form and they will be the ones who will be closest to fighting for the race together with Luca. In general it is a team of climbers. In addition Raccagni can do a good job and fight for a stage. After this race this group will make a small break and the rest will face a classic in La Rioja”, explains Rafael Díaz Justo who will be in charge of the team in the Portuguese race together with Isaac Cantón who will join the expedition.

Alex García will return to the competition after a week of rest: “I come to the Portugal with a lot of desire and after it was a bit difficult for me the start of this season, because I caught a virus and so. After Ronde de L’Isard in the Copa de España of Momparler I was already getting a good feeling in the race. I’m really looking forward to it”.

Stage 1: Leiria – Águeda (139km)