Two out of two. The sprints at the Volta Algarve have only one master: Frenchman Paul Magnier. The twenty-one-year-old from Soudal-Quick Step beat Belgian Meeus in Lagos, who was already second behind him in the first stage in Tavira.

"I'm feeling great again, I had really strong sensations and Dylan (Van Baarle, ed.) did an excellent job controlling the race throughout the entire day - said the French talent, at his 26th career victory -. It was a bit hectic at the finish because everyone was fresh, but the team did an excellent job and I'm delighted to have concluded it perfectly. I'm happy because winning like this is truly a beautiful satisfaction that makes you look to the future in a positive way".

The pace of the stage, which remained rather slow until almost the end, had repercussions on the peloton, making the situation dangerous in the final: "Of course, the last 3 km were a bit chaotic, because the last 20 km were quite easy, with narrow roads - Magnier explains further -. But in the end I was in an excellent position at the last corner, with two teammates still ahead of me. So it was a fantastic day.

After the Volta Algarve, which will conclude today with a hilltop finish, Paul Magnier will race the Omloop Nieuwsblad on Saturday the 28th, the highly anticipated opening of the calendar in Belgium, then the classic Kuurne on Sunday March 1st, and then we'll see him in Italy: first at Tirreno-Adriatico and then at Milano-Sanremo.