Fabio Jakobsen continued his impressive start to the season by easing to victory on a crash-affected stage one of the Volta ao Algarve.
The Quick Step - Alpha Vinyl rider, who won two stages at the recent Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, was led out strongly by his team and had a clear run to the line in Lagos.
It was the third time that Jakobsen has won in the coastal town, and the fourth successive year that Quick Step - Alpha Vinyl have triumphed, with Sam Bennett winning in 2021.
Jakobsen's victory means that he will take ownership of the race's lead, although a summit finish on Thursday means that his stay at the top of the GC will not surpass more than 24 hours.
It is more likely that Jakobsen's teammate Remco Evenepoel or someone like Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) or Brandon McNulty (UAE-Team Emirates) will be in the lead after the finish of stage two.
How it happened
Ten WorldTour teams were on the startline in Portimão, including Ineos Grenadiers who finished second in last year's edition with Ethan Hayter.
It took just over 15km for the day's breakaway to be formed, it compromising of three Portuguese riders from a trio of teams and one Spaniard. Fábio Marcelo Pinto (ABTF-Feirense) joined Hugo Nunes (Rádio Popular - Paredes - Boavista) and João Matais (Tavfer-Mortágua-Ovos Matinados) in representing the host nation alongside Spanish rider Asier Etxeberria from Euskaltel-Euskadi.
The quartet's gap rarely exceeded three minutes save for a moment with around 100km to go when they began attacking one another. They were reeled in by a determined peloton with just under an hour of racing left.
A few crashes, including one that brought down an estimated 25 riders, littered the closing stages, with Arkéa-Samsic busy at the head of a reduced peloton numbering around 60.
Approaching the finish line in Lagos, Alpecin-Fenix and Quick Step - Alpha Vinyl drove a peloton that by now was even further reduced to crashes.
Evenepoel took up proceedings at 2.4km to go and set an incessant pace that thinned the peloton out significantly.
After navigating a large roundabout with just over a kilometre-and-a-half to go, just five riders were at the front, although several other riders remerged under the flamme rouge.
That didn't deter Jakobsen, however, who took advantage of his team's show of strength and depth, jumping out of second wheel with 300m until the finish line.
The Dutchman was able to hold off any attack from behind to record his third win of the season.
Bryan Coquard of Cofidis took second with Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux) taking third. The Norwegian had initially finished fourth, but he was unhappy with Bora-Hansgrohe's Jordi Meeus for seemingly deviating from his line. The race jury agreed and Meeus was relegated.
Volta ao Algarve 2022: stage one - Portimão > Lagos, 199.1km.
1. Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Quick Step - Alpha Vinyl in 4-56.29
2. Bryan Coquard (Fra) Cofidis
3. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux
4. Michele Gazzoli (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan
5. Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE-Team Emirates
6. Bert van Lerberghe (Bel) Quick Step - Alpha Vinyl
7. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Quick Step - Alpha Vinyl
8. Nils Politt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
9. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE-Team Emirates
10. Tobias Foss (Nor) Jumbo-Visma, all at same time
General classification after stage one
1. Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Quick Step - Alpha Vinyl in 4-56.29
2. Bryan Coquard (Fra) Cofidis
3. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux
4. Michele Gazzoli (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan
5. Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE-Team Emirates
6. Bert van Lerberghe (Bel) Quick Step - Alpha Vinyl
7. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Quick Step - Alpha Vinyl
8. Nils Politt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
9. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE-Team Emirates
10. Tobias Foss (Nor) Jumbo-Visma, all at same time
