'Mostly for those in their 40s and 50s': I'm 28 but I still think this stage race has a mad playlist that you need to listen to
With everything from Arcade Fire to Tina Turner, it's got something for everyone - almost. Plus, a lot of Portuguese music
What connects Pulp, Kaiser Chiefs and David Bowie? No, not that they have been, at various points in my life, my favourite musical artist, but that they are among those lucky enough to make it onto the Volta ao Algarve's Spotify playlist.
The 50th edition of the Portuguese stage race begins on Wednesday, and an eagle-eyed friend of mine uncovered the 134-song behemoth, which we have embedded below. While the five-day race has become a useful early season proving ground for some of the best cyclists in the world, it also appears that someone within its organisation has an intriguing taste in music.
The playlist is on alongside the race, so as they cross the finish line, the likes of Wout van Aert, Tom Pidcock, and Remco Evenepoel will be able to listen to The Cure or Cyndi Lauper. What they make of the music is unknown.
The man behind the playlist is José Carlos Gomes, the press officer for the race. He tells Cycling Weekly that he "chose the songs with the Volta ao Algarve audience in mind", particularly paying attention to the fact that the crowd is mostly in their 40s and 50s. What that says for my (28M) taste in music, I don't want to comment.
"In addition to the Portuguese, many fans come from all over the world to watch the race," Gomes explained in the email. "Just yesterday I met a group of ten people who had come from Canada to cycle in the Algarve and watch the race.
I have a habit of getting far too into the music that surrounds races. Eighteen months ago I spent so long digging through the official songs of the Vuelta a España that it had a noticeable impact on my Spotify and YouTube algorithms. It still thinks I want to listen to 'Pedaleando' by Serafin Zubiri. On my recent trip to the Tour Down Under I made a press officer send me the lyrics to the 'Feel the Rush', the official song of the race, which was sung by the lead singer of a Led Zeppelin cover band. The obsession might be too much.
Fortunately, in this case, a lot of these songs won't throw my Spotify out of whack. Worryingly, there are a lot of songs that I not only like, but think of as some of the best songs of all time. Not just 'Disco 2000' by Pulp, or 'Let's Dance' by David Bowie, but 'Boys Don't Cry' by The Cure and 'More Than This' by Roxy Music. It is very much for the dads.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
When I sent it to a couple of WhatsApp groups I'm in, it was described as "fire" but "eclectic". That seems a fair judgement.
There are some odd songs in there. Gomes seems to like the late work of some of The Beatles, so alongside a classic in 'Got My Mind Set On You' by George Harrison, there's 'Hope of Deliverance' by Paul McCartney. I didn't think there would be a Macca song that I didn't know, but there it is, on the Volta ao Algarve playlist. There's also Coldplay, Foo Fighters, and The Killers, if you're that kind of dad. Get Lucky by Daft Punk is on there too, which is good, because I heard it might be the sound of the summer.
"Traditionally, the companies that set up the race structures - podiums, finish line gantries, barriers - brought their own music," Gomes says. "I didn't like the choices - they were probably for very young people.
"This year's list is the same as last year's. It's been right for the last five years. Initially, for example, we had almost no Portuguese artists on the list, but I thought it made sense to include Portuguese songs from the same pop/rock genre and even fado-pop."
The Portuguese songs are some of the best, even if one of them appears to be a cover of 'Baggy Trousers' by Madness - 'Bué de Baldas' by Despe E Siga. It's a type of music I've never encountered, to be quite honest, so maybe it's time for me to properly get into some Portuguese music, but I'll probably move on from ska.
'Entre dos tierras' by Heroes Del Silencio is a bit of a rock epic, while 'Kriolu' by Dino d'Santiago (feat. Julinho KSD) is about as R&B as this playlist gets. There's also an exclusive song for the Volta, 'A Catita', which was composed and played by one of the race's two official photographers, João Calado. That's the official song of the Volta ao Algarve really, Gomes says, but sadly isn't on Spotify. That's an in-person special.
If you're on the roadside at the Volta, then, you're in for a treat. It feels like BBC Radio 2 might have taken over a corner of Portugal for a weekend, possibly in tribute to Steve Wright, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'm going to keep spreading the joy of this surprising gem. Time to listen to some more Duran Duran, I think.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Adam is Cycling Weekly’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling on tarmac, he's happy. Before joining Cycling Weekly he spent two years writing for Procycling, where he interviewed riders and wrote about racing. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds. Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.
-
Tweets of the week: Pogačar can be beaten, Pidcock meets the royals, and Remco's an Arsenal fan
Sadly for Tadej Pogačar, serial winning doesn't seem to apply to go karting
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Friday roundup: Rapha does sportswear, Oakley meets PNS and Restrap makes a vest
Two new clothing lines, some hi-tech smart glasses and a hydration vest to inspire you to ride further
By Luke Friend Published
-
Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert impress in Portugal ahead of bigger tests
Evenepoel starts season in fine form ahead of Tour de France debut this summer
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Five things we learned from an action packed week of stage racing in Europe
Ineos Grenadiers reign in Portugal, Tadej Pogačar might be unstoppable and there's an unexpected winner at Valenciana
By Adam Becket Published
-
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 Published
-
Volta ao Algarve 2021 postponed due to coronavirus
The 2021 Volta ao Algarve has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
By Alex Ballinger Published
-
'I'm not in my best shape yet': Remco Evenepoel obliterates stage five time trial to seal Volta ao Algarve victory
The young Belgian impressed once again as he takes the biggest stage race win of his career so far
By Jonny Long Published
-
Miguel Ángel López takes stage four win as Remco Evenepoel closes in on GC at Volta ao Algarve
The young Belgian has just an individual time trial between him and his second overall victory of the season
By Jonny Long Published
-
Cees Bol overpowers Quick-Step with huge sprint on stage three of the Volta ao Algarve 2020
Cees Bol was the first rider to deny Quick-Step in the Volta ao Algarve as he took stage three with a stunning sprint.
By Alex Ballinger Published
-
Remco Evenepoel dedicates Algarve stage win to fellow Belgian rider whose son died last week
Remco Evenepoel dedicated his Volta ao Algarve stage victory to a fellow Belgian rider whose son died last week.
By Alex Ballinger Published