{"id":229844,"date":"2026-02-22T15:58:35","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T15:58:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/22\/volta-ao-algarve-juan-ayuso-wins-final-stage-summit-finish-to-take-overall-title\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T15:58:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T15:58:35","slug":"volta-ao-algarve-juan-ayuso-wins-final-stage-summit-finish-to-take-overall-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/22\/volta-ao-algarve-juan-ayuso-wins-final-stage-summit-finish-to-take-overall-title\/","title":{"rendered":"Volta ao Algarve: Juan Ayuso wins final stage summit finish to take overall title"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"daf92480-11f3-4b1c-b410-79954c31b656\">Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) secured the stage 5 win and the overall victory at the Volta ao Algarve on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>The Spaniard, wearing the yellow leader&#8217;s jersey, was part of a small selection that formed on the final ascent of the decisive Alto do Malh\u00e3o, before he sprinted to the day&#8217;s victory.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"daf92480-11f3-4b1c-b410-79954c31b656-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Oscar Onley (Ineos Grenadiers) led the race into the final few hundred metres and launched his sprint first; however, Ayuso was quick to react and punched around the British rider right at the line.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-3 pb-4 mb-4 border-solid border-y border-neutral-300\">\n<span class=\"font-article-heading block pb-3 !text-base font-bold uppercase sm:text-sm text-[#333]\"><br \/>\nYou may like<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Onley was forced to settle for second while Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) took third on the day.<\/p>\n<p>Ayuso, who led the race since stage 2 that finished at the summit in F\u00f3ia, won the overall race by 14 seconds ahead of Seixas and 59 seconds ahead of Jo\u00e3o Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">&#8220;From the start to the end, it was a very stressful and tense day, right from the beginning in the [intermediate] sprint. My job was to cover Paul [Magnier] if he wanted to go for the sprint, and then I had to respond, and he tried to take some seconds, and I had to respond,&#8221; Ayuso said after the stage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">&#8220;I&#8217;m super proud of how the team raced all day. They put us under pressure from the start. There were very strong teams, Ineos and Red Bull, trying to make their moves, and trying to always have guys out front to put us under pressure. Thanks to my teammates today, we controlled it perfectly.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-4E6RrUVoNP7N93FysNeCcW\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-4E6RrUVoNP7N93FysNeCcW slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">&#8220;In the final, it was a very tense race, nervous; they tried to isolate me on the first time up Malh\u00e3o, but my team responded perfectly, led me into the final in the perfect position to go for the win. Normally, I would be really proud of my <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tag\/performance\/\" data-auto-tag-linker=\"true\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tag\/performance\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tag\/performance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">performance<\/a>, but today they deserve it; they did an amazing job and this win is definitely for them.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Runner-up Onley was pleased with second place, meanwhile.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">&#8220;I knew the finish straight was narrow, and it can be quite hard to pass, so I just tried to open it up early, and I could feel Ayuso on my shoulder, on my hip, and he was stronger,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-3 pb-4 mb-4 border-solid border-y border-neutral-300\">\n<span class=\"font-article-heading block pb-3 !text-base font-bold uppercase sm:text-sm text-[#333]\"><br \/>\nYou may like<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">&#8220;Overall, I&#8217;m happy with the day, from the team. We were really active, and with Kevin, it was a good move. It&#8217;s exactly why I wanted to join this team and play like this in these kinds of races. Maybe we don&#8217;t have the strongest guy outright, but together with our strengths, we can make things happen.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-how-it-unfolded\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-how-it-unfolded\"><span>How it unfolded<\/span><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\" id=\"b2b3d110-1ef3-4906-a896-fa3df6670363\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:1024px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:66.60%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fqAYaxbxpm5tU9fmof64C5-1024-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fqAYaxbxpm5tU9fmof64C5-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fqAYaxbxpm5tU9fmof64C5-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fqAYaxbxpm5tU9fmof64C5-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fqAYaxbxpm5tU9fmof64C5-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fqAYaxbxpm5tU9fmof64C5-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\"\/>\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Tobias Bayer and Max Schachmann in the break of the day <\/span><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"22e0f6d6-919c-46c1-8f4f-7d1be17e46dd\">The race for the overall victory hung in the balance as the peloton tackled 153.1km from Faro to the summit of Alto do Malh\u00e3o for the final day of racing at the Volta ao Algarve.<\/p>\n<p>The big question at the start of the race was whether Ayuso could hold on to his overall lead, or if Seixas would gain the 14 seconds he needed to eclipse the Spaniard, or if Almeida, 44 seconds back, could pull off a surprise.<\/p>\n<p>Ayuso was off to a good start as he extended his lead by one second after finishing third at an early intermediate sprint in Olh\u00e3o.<\/p>\n<p>An early breakaway formed that included Maximilian Schachmann (Soudal-QuickStep), who was the highest placed on GC at 1:45 behind Ayuso, Jan Tratnik (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Tobias Bayer (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Luca Van Boven (Lotto Intermarch\u00e9) and Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling), taking the next set of bonus seconds in Loul\u00e9.<\/p>\n<p>Lidl-Trek set the pace on the front of the peloton, holding the breakaway at a manageable minute.<\/p>\n<p>The gap held steady over the category 3 Soidos, but the breakaway split apart on the first time over the Alto do Malh\u00e3o, a 2.6km climb that averaged nearly 10%.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\" id=\"f6ac1dd0-c85b-40d7-9d70-521d69b97de0\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:1024px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:66.60%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MtbREgT8LkkQagG8rdtg9H-1024-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MtbREgT8LkkQagG8rdtg9H-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MtbREgT8LkkQagG8rdtg9H-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MtbREgT8LkkQagG8rdtg9H-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MtbREgT8LkkQagG8rdtg9H-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MtbREgT8LkkQagG8rdtg9H-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MtbREgT8LkkQagG8rdtg9H.jpg\" alt=\"LOULE, PORTUGAL - FEBRUARY 22: A general view of Juan Ayuso of Spain and Team Lidl - Trek - Yellow leader jersey, Oscar Onley of Great Britain and Team INEOS Grenadiers, Paul Seixas of France and Team Decathlon CMA CGM - White best young jersey, Daniel Felipe Martinez of Colombia and Team Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, Matthew Riccitello of United States, Joao Almeida of Portugal and UAE Team Emirates - XRG compete during the 52nd Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta 2026, Stage 5 a 148.4km stage from Faro to Malhao - Loule 512m on February 22, 2026 in Loule, Portugal. (Photo by Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MtbREgT8LkkQagG8rdtg9H-1024-80.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MtbREgT8LkkQagG8rdtg9H-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MtbREgT8LkkQagG8rdtg9H-970-80.jpg 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MtbREgT8LkkQagG8rdtg9H-650-80.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MtbREgT8LkkQagG8rdtg9H-480-80.jpg 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MtbREgT8LkkQagG8rdtg9H-320-80.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MtbREgT8LkkQagG8rdtg9H.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MtbREgT8LkkQagG8rdtg9H.jpg\" class=\"inline\"\/>\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">The GC favourites battling up the Alto do Malh\u00e3o <\/span><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"d303b5b4-d5a7-4da7-84e5-44e79a2a6059\">Schachmann and Alaphilippe surged over the top and gained 20 seconds on Tratnik as Bayer was distanced even further back. Some activity in the peloton behind led to Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) and K\u00e9vin Vauquelin (Ineos Grenadiers) in a two-person chase at about 1:20 back.<\/p>\n<p>Alaphilippe ended up alone off the front when Schachmann overcooked a left-hand corner on the descent with 35km remaining. The German rider appeared to be in distress as he received medical assistance, and his team has not released the extent of his injuries.<\/p>\n<p>A chase group joined Alaphilippe with 16km to go, but a new lead group emerged, with Lipowitz and Vauquelin continuing onward as the race headed toward the final climb of the Alto do Malh\u00e3o.<\/p>\n<p>Lidl-Trek and UAE Team Emirates-XRG led the peloton onto the final slopes of the race, catching the two remaining breakaway riders, and resetting the race for the overall victory.<\/p>\n<p>Eleven riders emerged on the ascent, with Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA CGM) kicking off a series of attacks. Seixas was the next to accelerate, attempting to put Ayuso under pressure, and Almeida appeared to struggle to hang onto the pace.<\/p>\n<p>Only five riders remained inside the final few hundred metres: Ayuso, Seixas, Almeida and Onley, along with Thomas Gloag (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling). Onley launched his sprint first, but he was followed by Ayuso, who then outkicked him at the line as the Spaniard won the final stage and the overall classification.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\" id=\"11d4519a-36fd-483c-b815-ae89b89da8d0\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:1024px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:66.70%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/q7XexrwsjeDAzbQs6wSf8H-1024-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/q7XexrwsjeDAzbQs6wSf8H-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/q7XexrwsjeDAzbQs6wSf8H-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/q7XexrwsjeDAzbQs6wSf8H-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/q7XexrwsjeDAzbQs6wSf8H-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/q7XexrwsjeDAzbQs6wSf8H-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/q7XexrwsjeDAzbQs6wSf8H.jpg\" alt=\"LOULE, PORTUGAL - FEBRUARY 22: Juan Ayuso of Spain and Team Lidl - Trek celebrates at podium as stage winner during the 52nd Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta 2026, Stage 5 a 148.4km stage from Faro to Malhao - Loule 512m on February 22, 2026 in Loule, Portugal. (Photo by Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/q7XexrwsjeDAzbQs6wSf8H-1024-80.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/q7XexrwsjeDAzbQs6wSf8H-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/q7XexrwsjeDAzbQs6wSf8H-970-80.jpg 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/q7XexrwsjeDAzbQs6wSf8H-650-80.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/q7XexrwsjeDAzbQs6wSf8H-480-80.jpg 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/q7XexrwsjeDAzbQs6wSf8H-320-80.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/q7XexrwsjeDAzbQs6wSf8H.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/q7XexrwsjeDAzbQs6wSf8H.jpg\" class=\"inline\"\/>\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Stage and race winner Juan Ayuso celebrates his success on the final podium <\/span><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a id=\"elk-results\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"article-body__section\" id=\"section-results\"><span>Results<\/span><\/h3>\n<p id=\"d2f59713-1b7c-4997-ae2c-3c17a85e2e37\"><em><strong>Results powered by <\/strong><\/em><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/firstcycling.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-url=\"https:\/\/firstcycling.com\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\"><em><strong>FirstCycling<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-807c1604-393e-4a52-a5f3-f3f2657042f7\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><iframe allow=\"\" height=\"410\" width=\"100%\" id=\"\" style=\"\" class=\"position-center\" data-lazy-priority=\"low\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/firstcycling.com\/widget\/?r=107&amp;y=2026&amp;s=5&amp;lang=EN&amp;cn=1\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/volta-ao-algarve-juan-ayuso-wins-final-stage-summit-finish-to-take-overall-title\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) secured the stage 5 win and the overall victory at the Volta ao Algarve on Sunday. The Spaniard, wearing the yellow leader&#8217;s jersey, was part of a small selection that formed on the final ascent of the decisive Alto do Malh\u00e3o, before he sprinted to the day&#8217;s victory. Oscar Onley (Ineos Grenadiers) [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":229845,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6804],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-229844","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229844","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229844"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229844\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/229845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229844"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229844"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229844"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}