FC Porto score summit finish victory at Volta ao Algarve as Primoz Roglic wins overall
Amaro Antunes netted the victory on stage five of the Portuguese race as Roglic safely held his advantage in GC
FC Porto scored a famous victory at their home race through Amaro Antunes, who won the final stage summit finish to Malhão.
Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo) held his 22 second advantage over second place Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) in the general classification battle, finishing just behind the Sky man crossing the line in fifth place on the stage.
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A huge group of 21 riders, including some big names like André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal), John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo), Sep Vanmarcke (Cannondale-Drapac) and Arnaud Démare (FDJ), got away from the peloton after around an hour of fast racing and established a maximum gap of around 2-30.
That group slowly disintegrated as race continued, with Ben King (Cannondale) among others attempting to get away with 11km to go and the final ascent of two of the Malhão remaining.
It wasn’t to be though for the breakaway, which was caught by the peloton at the base of the final climb to the finish, with Maurits Lammertink (Katusha-Alpecin) the final rider to be caught further up the climb.
It was then all about whether Kwiatkowski would attack Roglic and try and take back the 22 seconds he needed to win overall.
Sky worked hard to place him well on the climb, with young Italian Gianni Moscon pacing him for most of the first 2km of the 3km climb.
Meanwhile, Antunes made a darting move with 1.5km remaining, which was meant with little response from the remaining riders in the front group who were more focussed on GC.
He was able to solo comfortably to the finish to take the biggest win of his career and his team’s history, as Kwiatkowski attempted to drop Roglic.
That attempt was short lived though, with the Slovenian able to match the Pole’s move. Eventually they finished together on the line, with Kwiatkowski in fourth and Roglic just behind.
Results
Volta ao Algarve stage five, Loulé – Malhão, (179.2k)
1. Amaro Antunes (Por) W52/FC Porto, in 4-29-28
2. Vicente Garcia (Esp) Louletano-Hospital de Loule, at 12s
3. Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal, st
4. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky, at 15s
5. Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-Jumbo, at 16s
6. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Sporting Clube de Portugal/Tavira, at 17s
7. Jaime Roson (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, st
8. Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team, st
9. Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal, at 18s
10. David de la Fuente (Esp) Louletano-Hospital de Loule, st
Final general classification
1. Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
2. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky, at 22s
3. Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto-Soudal, at 55 secs
4. Luis Leon Sanchez (Esp) Astana, at 59 secs
5. Amaro Antunes (Por) W52-FC Porto-Porto Canal, at 59s
6. Dan Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors, at 1-36
7. Jonathan Castroviejo (Esp) Movistar, at 1-40
8. Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal, at 1-42
9. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Sporting Clube de Portuga/Tavira, at 1-56
10. Edgar Pinto (Por) LA Alumínios-Metalusa, at 2-19