30th Volta ao Algarve - 2.3

Portugal, February 18-22, 2004

2003 results Stage List Preview Start List Past winners

The Stages

Stage 1 - February 18: Albufeira-Albufeira, 145 km
Stage 2 - February 19: Castro Marim-Portimao, 182.0 km
Stage 3 - February 20: Lagoa-Lagos, 180 km
Stage 4 - February 21: Vila Real S.Antonio-Tavira ITT, 24 km
Stage 5 - February 22: Parque Das Cidades-Malhão, 178.5 km

Armstrong debuts in Portugal

The southern Portuguese region of Algarve will play host to the 30th edition of the Volta al Algarve between February 18-22. The race, which will mark the season debut of Lance Armstrong (US Postal presented by Berry Floor), consists of five stages and includes a 24 kilometre individual time trial on the second last day, put in especially by the organisers as a favour to Armstrong.

The Volta opens with a 149 km stage starting and finishing in Albufeira, travelling along the coast before heading inland and back to Albufeira in a large loop. The second stage starts in Castro Marim, on the eastern Portuguese/Spanish border, and heads west towards Portimao, with a few small climbs en route. Stage 3 is from Lagoa, on the outskirts of Portimao, to Lagos, passing via the southwestern tip of Portugal and featuring the Cat. 2 climb of Fóia (940m).

The fourth stage is an almost dead flat time trial between Vila Real S.Antonio and Tavira, again along the coast line. This should be a fast and important stage, but the race will not be decided until the final day. The fifth stage from Parque Das Cidades to Malhão is generally hilly and finishes with a Cat. 2 climb. Although only 2.5 km long, the Alto do Malhão rises over 240m and will be a real challenge.

Apart from the US Postal-Berry Floor team, which also includes Portuguese rider Jose Azevedo, Floyd Landis, Michael Barry and Victor Peña, there are a number of other teams and riders to watch. Portuguese hopes will probably be pinned on the Milaneza-Maia team with David Bernabeu, Angel Edo and Vitor Gamito. Candido Barbosa (LA Pecol) will be looking to follow up on his recent GP CTT victory, and the remainder of the Portuguese squads will doubtless be motivated to do well against Armstrong and co.

Start list

U.S. Postal Service                   Milaneza-Maia

1 Lance Armstrong (USA)               11 David Bernabeu (Spa)
2 José Azevedo (Por)                  12 Bruno Castanheira (Por)
3 Floyd Landis (USA)                  13 Victor Gamito (Por)
4 Victor Hugo Peña (Col)              14 Hugo Sabido (Por)
5 Michael Barry (Can)                 15 Angel Edo (Spa)
6 Benjamin Noval (Spa)                16 Renato Silva (Por)
7 Daniel Rincon (Col)                 17 Paulo Barroso (Por)
8 George Hincapie (USA)               18 Gonçalo Amorim (Por)

Cofidis                               Carvalhelhos-Boavista

22 Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra)             31 Joaquim Sampaio (Por)
23 Peter Farazijn (Bel)               32 Celio Sousa (Por)
24 Damien Monier (Fra)                33 Danail Petrov (Bul)
25 Stuart O'grady (Aus)               34 Adrian Palomares (Spa)
26 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel)            35 Andre Vital (Por)
27 Janek Tombak (Est)                 36 Jose Rodrigues (Por)
                                      37 Pedro Soeiro (Por)
                                      38 Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa)

Barbot-Gaia                           L.A. Pecol

41 Nuno Alves (Por)                   51 Candido Barbosa (Por)
42 Marco Morais (Por)                 52 David Garcia (Spa)
43 Carlos Pinho (Por)                 53 Pedro Andrade (Por)
44 Rui Pinto (Por)                    54 Pedro Lopes (Por)
45 Juan Olmo (Spa)                    55 Yon Bru (Spa)
46 Martin Garrido (Arg)               56 Nuno Ribeiro (Por)
47 Hugo Lucio (Por)                   57 Luis Pinheiro (Por)
48 Pedro M. Martins (Por)             58 Ruben Oarbeascoa (Spa)

Wurth/Bom Petisto                     Asc-Vila Do Conde

61 Nelson Vitorino (Por)              71 Victoriano Fernandez (Spa)
62 Vidal Fitas (Por)                  72 Carlos Carneiro (Por)
63 Joaquim Andrade (Por)              73 Hermano Vieira (Por)
64 Hugo Vitor (Por)                   74 Bruno Neves (Por)
65 Ricardo Costa (Por)                75 Israel Nuñez (Spa)
66 Nuno Marta (Por)                   76 Oscar Serrano (Spa)
67 Luis Bartolomeu (Por)              77 Sergio Ribeiro (Por)
68 Helder Miranda (Por)               78 Cesar Pinto (Por)

Euskaltel-Euskadi                     Rabobank

81 Iker Camano (Spa)                  91 Serge Pauwels (Bel)
82 Inaki Isasi (Spa)                  92 Thomas Dekker (Ned)
83 Egoi Martinez (Spa)                93 Michiel Elijzen (Ned)
84 Gorka Verdugo (Spa)                94 Marc De Maar (Ned)
85 Joseba Zubeldia (Spa)              95 Bas Giling (Ned)
86 Koldo Fernandez (Spa)              96 Bernhard Kohl (Aut)
87 Alber Lopez De Munain (Spa)        97 Joost Posthuma (Ned)
88 Aketza Peña (Spa)                  98 Jukka Vastaranta (Fin)

RAGT Semences-MG Rover                Jong Vlaanderen 2016

101 Guillaume Auger (Fra)             111 Sjef De Wilde (Bel)
102 Jérôme Bernard (Fra)              112 Kurt Hoevelinck (Bel)
103 Eric Berthou (Fra)                113 Aron Huysmans (Bel)
104 Roman Luhovyy (Ukr)               114 Sven Renders (Bel)
105 Frédéric Finot (Fra)              115 Geert Steurs (Bel)
106 Christophe Laurent (Fra)          116 Pieter Uytterhoeven (Bel)
107 Klaus Mutschler (Ger)             117 Tommy V.De Gehuchte (Bel)
108 Bruno Thibout (Fra)               118 Stefan Wijnands (Bel)

Imoholding/Loule J.H                  Antarte - Rota Dos Moveis

121 Elio Sousa (Por)                  131 Virgilio Santos (Por)
122 Rui Madeira (Por)                 132 Alberto Benito (Spa)
123 Ramon Troncoso (Spa)              133 Jacek Morajko (Pol)
124 Jorge Costa (Por)                 134 Paulo Ferreira (Por)
125 Fernando Rodriguez (Spa)          135 Gerardo Fernandes (Arg)
126 Marco Silvestre (Por)             136 David Plaza (Spa)
127 Daniel Cabrita (Por)              137 Jose M. Hernandez (Spa)
128 Juan Manuel Jimenez (Spa)         138 Francisco Garcia (Spa)

Beppi-Ovarense                        Relax-Bodysol

141 Rui Roque (Por)                   151 Wim De Vocht (Bel)
142 Pedro Ermida (Spa)                152 Bart Dockx (Bel)
143 Jose Oliveira (Por)               153 Gustavo Dominguez (Spa)
144 Alexandre Pinho (Por)             154 José Miguel Elias (Spa)
145 Enrique Salgueiro (Spa)           156 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel)
146 Jordi Berenguer (Spa)             157 Preben Van Hecke (Bel)
147 Oscar Romero (Spa)                158 James Vanlandschoot (Bel)
148 Fernando Fernandez (Spa)

Past winners

2003 Claus Michael Moller (Den) Milaneza-MSS
2002 Candido Barbosa (Por) L.A. Pecol
2001 Andrea Ferrigato (Ita) Alessio
2000 Alex Zulle (Swi)
1999 Melchor Mauri (Spa)
1998 Tomas Konecny (Cze)
1997 Cândido Barbosa (Por)
1996 Alberto Amaral (Por)
1995 Cássio Freitas (Bra)
1994 Vitor Gamito (Por)
1993 Cássio Freitas (Bra)
1992 Joaquim Gomes (Por)
1991 Joaquim Andrade (Por)
1990 Fernando Carvalho (Por)
1989 Fernando Carvalho (Por)
1988 Joaquim Gomes (Por)
1987 Manuel Cunha (Por)
1986 Manuel Cunha (Por)
1985 Eduardo Correia (Por)
1984 Belmiro Silva  (Por)
1983 Adelino Teixeira (Por)
1982 Alexandre Ruas (Por)
1981 Belmiro Silva  (Por)
1980 Firmino Bernardino (Por)
1979 Firmino Bernardino (Por)
1978 Joaquim Andrade (Por)
1960 José Manuel Marques (Por)
 
Past winners courtesy of Rui Silva