Fabio Jakobsen will headline our seven-man team this week.
No other team has won the Volta ao Algarve more times this century than the Wolfpack, our squad counting five overall wins at the most important Portuguese race, in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2020, and 2022. Aside from these triumphs, Soudal Quick-Step racked up also two dozen stage victories, most recent of these being last year’s individual time trial in Tavira.
A stage against the clock will feature on the course also at the 48th edition (15-19 February), but this time in Lagoa, where the race will conclude after five days that will give opportunities to both the sprinters and the climbers, the latter once again set to battle on the fierce slopes of Alto da Foia and the now iconic Alto do Malhão.
European Champion Fabio Jakobsen – who has won four stages and a pair of points jerseys at his previous outings – will target the race’s two flat stages, where he’ll be guided by Michael Mørkøv and Casper Pedersen, who just last weekend took the spoils at the Figueira Champions Classic. Two former ITT National Champions, Kasper Asgreen and Rémi Cavagna, will also be on Soudal Quick-Step’s squad, which will be completed by Tim Declercq and Ilan Van Wilder.
“Algarve is a race we like, a race where we had a lot of success in the past. We look forward to it, and especially to the combination of Fabio, Michael and Casper in the bunch sprint, it will be a good test for the lead-out. Regarding the general classification, we can try something with Ilan. He had some solid displays in Mallorca and Figueira, and with that time trial on the las stage, he has a chance of getting a good result”, said sports director Tom Steels.
Photo credit: ©Cédric Depraetere
