Grenadiers 1-2 as Martinez wins Algarve title

19 Feb 2023

Grenadiers 1-2 as Martinez wins Algarve title

Volta ao Algarve - Stage 5: Lagoa ITT, 24.4km

Dani Martinez led home an INEOS Grenadiers 1-2 overall at the Volta ao Algarve after a superb and consistent week of racing.

The Colombian set the fourth fastest time in the decisive final time trial to finish the race two seconds ahead of team-mate Filippo Ganna.

Ganna continues to impress in stage races and his climbing performances in Portugal set him up for a brilliant GC finish. The Italian national TT champion finished third across the 24.4km course, 10 seconds back on stage winner Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ).

Tom Pidcock was the last rider down the ramp, taking a slender GC lead into the finale thanks to his victory on Saturday's queen stage. The Brit pushed hard, staying upright despite a brief off-road moment, and would eventually finish in seventh place on the GC.

There were some great performances in the TT with Thymen Arensman setting the sixth best time. Jonathan Castroviejo (12th) and Laurens De Plus (14th) also flirted with the top 10.

Just like their teammates in Spain, the riders in the Algarve also wrapped up victory in the team classification.

After the win Martinez said: "A lot of people thought this morning that Filippo was the favourite for the GC. Day by day my feeling has been better, but today is also a surprise for me."
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