2014_Volta_ao_Algarve
2014 Volta ao Algarve
Cycling race
The 2014 Volta ao Algarve was the 40th edition of the Volta ao Algarve cycling stage race. It was rated as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour, and was held from 19 to 23 February 2014, in Portugal.[1][2][3]
The race was won by Omega Pharma–Quick-Step rider Michał Kwiatkowski – taking the first stage race win of his career[4] – after taking the race lead with a solo stage victory[5] on the second stage; he further extended his lead in the following day's individual time trial,[6] before holding his lead to the end of the race. Kwiatkowski's winning margin over runner-up Alberto Contador of Tinkoff–Saxo was 19 seconds,[7] and world champion Rui Costa (Lampre–Merida) completed the podium, 13 seconds down on Contador and 32 seconds in arrears of Kwiatkowski.[8] Contador won the queen stage of the race on the penultimate day, to the Alto do Malhão,[9] while Costa finished second on three stages, and finished as the best-placed Portuguese rider.
Portuguese cyclists were prominent in the race's other classifications.[10] Costa's consistent finishing allowed him to take home the green jersey as the winner of the points classification,[8][10] while Banco BIC–Carmim's Valter Pereira and Rádio Popular's César Fonte held the lead from start to finish of the mountains and sprints classifications respectively.[10] Costa's Lampre–Merida squad were the winners of the teams classification,[8] after Chris Horner also finished inside the top ten overall and Sacha Modolo took a stage victory on the opening day.[11]
