Fabio Jakobsen pushes past Elia Viviani to take stage one of the Volta ao Algarve 2020

Youth trumped experience in the Volta ao Algarve 2020 as Fabio Jakobsen pushed past Elia Viviani to take stage one.

The stage came down to the predicted sprint finish, but a tense final 30km offered some enticing racing on an uncategorised climb, with attacks flowing from the peloton.

But it came down to a bunch kick for the line, as Deceuninck - Quick-Step's Jakobsen put in a tactically perfect effort to comfortably power past Viviani (Cofidis) in the finishing straight and take the win, moving into the race lead in the process.

How it happened

Stage one of the Volta ao Algarve looked to be a long day but a fairly straightforward one, expected to end in a bunch sprint, in contrast to the big day of general classification racing over in Spain.

In Portugal, the peloton faced a 195.6km-run from Portimão to Lagos on the southern coast, with a third category and a fourth category climb in the opening 80km, a rolling middle section before riders hit the valley floor for a tame middle section.

Then with 30km of the stage left to race, the peloton would face an uncategorised climb, before the run to the line with two roundabouts in the final 2km and a long 700m straight to the finish.

Just three riders made it clear of the peloton to form the day’s breakaway – Pedro Paulinho (Efapel), Diego Lopez (Fundación-Orbea) and Alvaro Truba (Atum General-Tavira-Maria Nova Hotel) – and the group were allowed around 2-30 gap early in the day.

The peloton kept the leaders on a tight leash, and the gap was down to under a minute inside 40km.

Finally the break was caught with just over 30km to race, and the peloton hit the uncategorised climb together with around 25km to race.

A handful of teams saw an opportunity for surprise attacks on the ascent, as Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal) launched a move, followed by João Almeida of Deceuninck – Quick-Step.

The other teams were alert to the danger and the attack was closed down, but the pace didn’t ease in the peloton as the likes of Michał Kwiatkowski (Team Ineos) and Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step) wanted to secure their places at the head of the peloton as they surged downhill with 15km to the line.

Paddy Bevin (CCC Team) then launched an attack with Evenepoel on his wheel, a small group forming but then being caught again.

With 10km left to race the bunch were all back together, bringing an end to the tense moment but setting up the high-speed run for the sprint.

Sunweb, Trek-Segafredo and Quick-Step took up the pace-setting, as Geraint Thomas swooped around the front of the peloton to connect with the Team Ineos train.

Into the final kilometre, Michał Kwiatkwoski led the peloton with Mathieu van der Poel also (Alpecin-Fenix) at the sharp end.

Kwiatkowski found his sprinter Ben Swift on his wheel, but Swift found himself at the front of the race too far from the line and so had to launch his sprint early.

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Viviani was next to launch and powered to the front of the race on the right, while Jakobsen waited in the centre-front of the bunch.

The Italian faded dramatically as Jakobsen launched a powerful sprint, blasting past Viviani and leaving the peloton behind to take the stage.

Volta ao Algarve 2020, stage one: Portimão to Lagos (195.6km)

1. Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Deceuninck - Quick-Step, in 4-55-37

2. Elia Viviani (Ita) Cofidis

3. Matteo Trentin (Ita) CCC Team

4. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates

5. Jon Averasturi (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA

6. Cees Bol (Ned) Sunweb

7. Roger Kluge (Ger) Lotto-Soudal

8. Davide Cimolai (Ita) Israel Start-Up Nation

9. Daniel Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team

10. Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo, all at same time

General classification after stage one

1. Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Deceuninck - Quick-Step, in 4-55-37

2. Elia Viviani (Ita) Cofidis

3. Matteo Trentin (Ita) CCC Team

4. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates

5. Jon Averasturi (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA

6. Cees Bol (Ned) Sunweb

7. Roger Kluge (Ger) Lotto-Soudal

8. Davide Cimolai (Ita) Israel Start-Up Nation

9. Daniel Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team

10. Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo, all at same time