Team Sky had a great day at the Volta ao Algarve in Portugal on Saturday, with Richie Porte winning the tough, hilly stage four and Geraint Thomas maintaining his overall race lead.
Porte hit the finish line on the Alto do Malhão to take a solo win three seconds ahead of last year's overall winner and current world champion Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx-QuickStep), with Ion Izagirre (Movistar) six seconds back.
It's Porte's third win of the season so far, after the Australian time trial title and the queen stage of the Tour Down Under in January.
Crucially, Thomas managed to limit his losses against key rival Kwiatkowski, coming in fourth and just nine seconds behind Porte.
Geraint Thomas's greatest hits... and misses
Thomas has a comfortable buffer of 27 seconds in the general classification over second-placed Kwiatkowski going into Sunday's relatively flat final stage, which is predicted to end in a bunch sprint.
Home favourite Tiago Machado (Katusha) lies in third place overall at one minute and 11 seconds. Porte's stage win moves him up to fourth overall.
With Chris Froome taking the stage win and overall lead in the concurrently running Ruta de Sol in Spain, it sets up the distinct possibility on Sunday of two British Sky riders winning key early-season races.
Results
Volta ao Algarve 2015, stage four: Tavira to Malhão, 216km
1. Richie Porte (Aus) Sky
2. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Etixx-QuickStep at 3 secs
3. Ion Izagirre (Spa) Movistar at 6 secs
4. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky at 9 secs
5. Michael Woods (Can) Optum at 13 secs
Overall classification after stage four
1. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky
2. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Etixx-QuickStep at 27 secs
3. Tiago Machado (Por) Katusha at 1-11
4. Richie Porte (Aus) Sky at 1-14
5. Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa) Astana at 1-18
-
-
New patents reveal 12-speed Dura-Ace will be semi-wireless
Most conclusive US patent application yet shows front and rear mechs connected to a single junction box and battery
By Simon Smythe •
-
Iljo Keisse: 'The Giro d'Italia sprint stages have been a complete safety disaster'
Deceuninck - Quick-Step's Iljo Keisse says the safety of the past two Giro d'Italia sprint stages have been 'a complete disaster'
By Jonny Long •
-
Pavel Sivakov crashes out of Giro d'Italia 2021
The Franco-Russian rider came into the race as a surprise co-leader with Egan Bernal
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Egan Bernal says he's pain-free after first day in the mountains at Giro d'Italia 2021
The 2019 Tour de France champion had been concerned about his back pain issues going into the race
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Filippo Ganna says Remco Evenepoel ‘had fantastic legs’ as he questions whether he can maintain lead in Giro d’Italia
The Italian time trial star keeps the pink jersey after stage three, but can he hold on for another day?
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Ethan Hayter holds on to Volta ao Algarve lead as Kasper Asgreen wins stage four time trial
The British rider remained in the overall lead despite crashing on the 20km time trial
By Chris Marshall-Bell •
-
Filippo Ganna obliterates the field to take victory and pink jersey on Giro d'Italia stage one time trial
Time trial world champion wins opening time trial for second consecutive year
By Richard Windsor •
-
Ethan Hayter sprints to victory and the overall lead on stage two of Volta ao Algarve 2021
The British rider had two team-mates sacrificing themselves to carry him to the win
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Egan Bernal says he doesn’t have the same form as when he won the Tour de France, but wants to find his confidence
The Colombian star is favourite to win the Giro d’Italia, but has taken a different approach in his preparation
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Sam Bennett sprints to stage one victory at Volta ao Algarve 2021 after yet another perfect lead-out
Sam Bennett took the opening stage of the Volta ao Algarve 2021 after his team nailed the timing of the lead-out yet again for their star fast man beating Danny Van Poppel and Jon Aberasturi.
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
