Manuel Amaro Antunes (W52/FC Porto) won the last stage of this year’s Volta ao Algarve today, after attacking during the final kilometer to claim a solo victory ahead of Vicente García de Mateos (Louljtano-Hospital de Loulé) and Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal).
Meanwhile, race leader Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo) finished 16 seconds behind the Portuguese rider to claim the overall title.
Race Highlights
After 70 kilometers of racing, a large 21-rider breakaway group containing Oscar Gatto (Astana), Michael Schwarzmann (Bora-Hansgrobe), Alberto Bettiol and Sep Vanmarcke (Cannondale-Drapac), Arnaud Démare (FDJ), Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal), Dries Devenyns (Quick-Step Floors), Ben King (Dimension Data), José Gonçalves and Maurits Lammertink (Katusha-Alpecin), Timo Roosen (Lotto NL-Jumbo), Phil Deignan (Team Sky), John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo), Geoffrey Soupe (Cofidis), Aleksei Tsatevich (Gazprom-Rusvelo), Juan Arboleda (Manzana Postobon), Jesper Asselman and Andre Looij (Roompot), Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Jesus Del Pino (Efapel) and Raul Alarcón (W52-FC Porto), finally managed to ride clear.
As the breakaway group entered the penultimate climb of the Vermeils, they were still clinging to almost a one minute lead over the peloton.
However, as the race began to take its toll on the leaders, with only Gonçalves, King and Schwarzmann managed to remain outside of the clutches of the peloton.
With 11 kilometers, King found himself alone out front, but the American rider was quickly rejoined by Gatto, Conclaves, Lammertink, Schwartzman, Devenyns and Alarcon.
From there, Team Sky began upping the pace in an attempt to try and distance Roglic and put Kwiatkowski into the virtual lead, while simultaneously reeling in the breakaway group at the base of the Malhão.
However, with just over a kilometer to go, Antunes put in a brilliant attack, subsequently opening up a slight gap for himself and never looking back.
Meanwhile, Kwiatkowski attempted to distance Roglic a final time with a last attack, but the Slovenian rider proved unshakeable.
Stage 5 Results POR 1 ANTUNES, Amaro (W52/FC PORTO) 4:29:28 ESP 2 GARCIA DE MATEOS RUBIO, Vicente (LOULETANO – HOSPITAL DE LOULE) + 12 BEL 3 BENOOT, Tiesj (LOTTO SOUDAL) POL 4 KWIATKOWSKI, Michal (SKY) + 15 SLO 5 ROGLIČ, Primož (LOTTO NL – JUMBO) + 16 ITA 6 NOCENTINI, Rinaldo (SPORTING / TAVIRA) + 17 ESP 7 ROSON GARCIA, Jaime (CAJA RURAL – SEGUROS RGA) ESP 8 SANCHEZ GIL, Luis León (ASTANA) FRA 9 GALLOPIN, Tony (LOTTO SOUDAL) + 18 ESP 10 DE LA FUENTE RASILLA, David (LOULETANO – HOSPITAL DE LOULE)
General Classification after Stage 5 SLO 1 ROGLIČ, Primož (LOTTO NL – JUMBO) 19:04:03 POL 2 KWIATKOWSKI, Michal (SKY) + 22 FRA 3 GALLOPIN, Tony (LOTTO SOUDAL) + 55 ESP 4 SANCHEZ GIL, Luis León (ASTANA) + 59 POR 5 ANTUNES, Amaro (W52/FC PORTO) + 1:29 IRL 6 MARTIN, Daniel (QUICK – STEP FLOORS) + 1:36 ESP 7 CASTROVIEJO, Jonathan (MOVISTAR) + 1:40 BEL 8 BENOOT, Tiesj (LOTTO SOUDAL) + 1:42 ITA 9 NOCENTINI, Rinaldo (SPORTING / TAVIRA) + 1:56 POR 10 PINTO, Edgar (LA ALUMINIOS / METALUSA BLACKJACK) + 2:19
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