The 23-year-old spent 150 kilometers at the front of the race.
Warre Vangheluwe carried the flag for Soudal Quick-Step on the penultimate stage of the Volta ao Algarve, which took the peloton to Faro, the biggest city in the region and a regular fixture on the race. The second-year pro, who last season picked up two victories for the Wolfpack, was part of a four-man breakaway that rode away early and whose maximum gap hit the six-minute mark with 100 kilometer to go.
The group was hoping that the hilly terrain would play in their favour and make it difficult for the sprinters’ teams to chase, and Warre was incredibly strong out the front, taking some long turns in the breakaway and leaving everything out there together with his companions. They were still leading by two minutes with 30 kilometers to go, but the final climb was too much for the escapees – already on the limit after their effort – and Warre and the rest got caught 16 kilometers from the finish.
The uphill bunch sprint was won by Milan Fretin (Cofidis), while Dries Van Gestel concluded just outside the top ten as the first Soudal Quick-Step rider home. His teammates Maximilian Schachmann and Ilan Van Wilder finished with the bunch and will now look to Sunday’s individual time trial which will be decisive for the general classification of this edition.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
