Gino's adventures in Portugal

36th Tour of Algarve - 36a Volta ao Algarve

Written by Gino on February 21, 2010 – 4:51 pm -

Besides the carnaval festivities which we celibrated last weekend, each year during the month of February, the Algarve welcomes hundreds of sportsloving fans who come and witness the “Volta ao Algarve”, the Tour of the Algarve for professional cycle racers. This year, the 36th edition took place between 17th of February and today, 21st February. More than 200 cyclists and 23 national and international teams challenged each other to win this race. This race is the only race in the world of “class 2.1″ which succeeds in inviting the majority of the “Pro Tour” racing teams.

Two times winner of the Tour de France, winner of the Tour of Spain and Giro d’Italia, Spanish rider Alberto Contador, who won this race last year, insisted on participating in this year’s edition as well. As a matter of fact, I believe it was his first race after more than 206 days without competition. Last Wednesday, during the first stage in between Faro and Albufeira, in his first day of competion, Contador was attacking constantly. Last Friday, during the third stage in between Castro Marim and Malhao, he won his first race of 2010, and today, he became second in the time trial between Lagoa and Portimao as well. He didn’t win today’s stage only because UCI had made some problems regarding his team’s special time trial bikes. Alberto Contador has won this 36st edition of the Tour of Algarve for the second year in a row, which proofs he is currently the best professional cycle racer of the world. I am already looking forward to this year’s Tour de France where he will meet with 7 times winner Lance Armstrong.

This years overall results:

1) Alberto Contador.

2) Luis Sanchez.

3) Tiago Machado.

4) Levi Leipheimer.

5) Samuel Gonzalez.

Having been a cycle race fan all my life, it was pretty normal for me that I was following this year’s event pretty closely. Obviously, I also took some pictures.