The monumentality of Lisbon’s Praça do Imperio square is the starting point for the 82nd edition of Volta a Portugal Santander. “A Volta do Regresso”, as it is also called, will be on tour from August 4th to 15th. It starts with a prologue in Lisbon, the sporting capital of Europe in 2021, and ends with a time trial in Viseu, Rotondas, on Avenida Europa. William Bjergfelt (SwiftCarbon) is the first cyclist on the road (at 15:20). Two hours and five minutes later Amaro Antunes (W52 Porto), winner of the 81st stage of the Volta, starts the race at 5.4 kilometers.

Between the two cities, Lisbon and Viseu, 126 cyclists and 18 teams cover 1,568.2 km over 10 stages with a day off (9 August) in Guarda, the country’s highest city. The caravan will complete five stages at the summit, marking the arrival at Torre (special category), Serra do Laruca, the second highest point in mainland Portugal (1503 meters), and Senhora da Graça (Monte Farinha) – 4 out of 1 awards. in the category and has 33 Mountain Awards.

Joaquim Gomes, race director, attributes the possible weight of the mountain to the track. “Volta’s hardness is measured by many other parameters. And at this level, it will always be a great staging event, held during the heat wave and which will ultimately demand a lot from its participants, ”he said in an audio message. “One thing I am sure: with more or less arrived in the mountains, this publication, in particular, will have to present, in the end, in Viseu, the strongest man of this race,” he argued.

Capital Prologue, Stage 1 (Torres Vedras-Setubal) and Stage 5 (Agueda Santo Tirso) are a coastal oasis on a journey through the interior of the country. In the western city, the caravan will witness the opening of the Joaquim Agostinho Museum. In addition to the collection, which includes yellow jerseys and items from Agostinho and other famous cycling Westerners, João Roque, Marco Chagas and Joaquim Gomes, the doom bike on which the most famous Portuguese cyclist took his death is on display in the museum space. Faro, May 10, 1984 (Volta in the Algarve).

94 years after the first Volta a Portugal by Bike (1927), the largest national cyclopedia competition continues to debut in cities. This time the honor goes to Ponte de Sor. The innovative capital of the aviation industry, located in Alto Alentejo, Portalegre district, will debut in Phase 2 on 6 August through a joint partnership with the municipalities of Crato, Portalegre and Castelo de Vide. and Nisa.

A day reserved exclusively for Minho (Viana do Castelo Fafe) will precede the longest leg, 193.2 km, between Felgeiras and Braganza.

Pandemic problem and return of 1st league foreigners 11 years later

Last year, the August race was postponed to the October “Special” race due to health conditions. The problem of the Covid-19 pandemic is still characteristic of Volta a Portugal. “After more than a year and a half of trials that prevented Volta a Portugal from meeting one of its most important requirements – to become the main and most popular event that colors people’s homes in the summer, we hope to finally give people a little of this ‘smell’ this August. normality, ”stressed Joaquim Gomes, Director of Volta a Portugal Santander, during a Zoom presentation.

Despite this desire to return to normal life, the Covid-19 problem will accompany the caravan. Despite the cheers on the roads, Volta spectators will keep their distance in the starting areas and at the gates. Television Tour (RTP) will always be an alternative for cycling enthusiasts.

The presence of Movistar, the Spanish World Tour team, 19 years after its last engagement, is the highlight of this Volta a Portugal by Bike release. Youth reigns supreme in the return of the world’s highest level of cycling to Portuguese roads 10 years after Lampre. Of the other eight foreign teams, the second line is the norm in the seven names that make up the kits.

There are 5 teams in Spain: Movistar, Caja Rural, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Burgos-BH and Kern Pharma. Rounding out foreigners in the competition are the teams Bingoal-Wallonie Brussels (Belgium), Rally Cycling (USA), UCI Proteams and Israel Cycling Academy (Israel) and SwiftCarbon (Great Britain), UCI Continental.

Portugal represents nine continental teams: W52-FC Porto, Efapel, Tavfer-Measindot-Mortágua, Louletano-Loulé Concelho, Antarte-Fairense, Kelly-Simoldes-Udo, Radio Popular-Boavista, LA Alumínios-LA Sport and Atum General-Tavira- MN Hotel.

The Portuguese W52-FC Porto, the winners of the last five competitions, which include Amaro Antunes, João Rodrigues and Joni Brandau, and Efapel are teams that excel in the podium competition.

On the 15th, in the 20.3 km time trial in Viriato land, where the most important national speed competition will be held for the 27th time, the successor of two cyclists will be determined, according to the reports of the publications: João Rodrigues (W52 – Porto), winner Issue 81 in 2019, proof that Viseu is in contact with Porto; or Amaro Antunes, winner of the “Special” edition September-October 2020 (Fafe-Lisbon), an event organized by the Portuguese Cycling Federation and currently not counted for statistical purposes.