Three stages of the Volta a Portugal Jogos Santa Casa, plus the opening prologue, and three sprint finishes. Today at the finish line next to the Forte Baluarte São João de Deus in Elvas, Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua became the fourth team to win a stage in this year's Grandíssima with an impressive double: in a technical, chaotic and high-speed finale, Leangel Linarez demonstrated he had the strongest legs of all, raising his arms in victory ahead of his teammate João Matias, who finished second. Tomas Contte (Aviludo-Louletano-Loulé) replicated his third-place finish from the previous day.

"I'm very happy and I have to thank the team. We knew this was practically the last opportunity for the sprinters. We raced well and stayed calm. I almost crashed in the final kilometer, but I still had the legs to get to the front and win," Linarez said after his victory.

THE RACE. In the longest stage of this 87th Volta a Portugal, the peloton crossed the Alentejo region under intense heat, with temperatures approaching 40°C. Even this wasn't enough to stop four brave riders who attacked and formed the day's breakaway: Ronan O'Connor (APS Pro Cycling by Team Cadence Cyclery), José Moreira (GI Group Holding-Simoldes-UDO), Gonçalo Rodrigues (Óbidos Cycling Team) and Joshua Lebo (Meridian Racing p/b De La Uz).

The quartet remained in the breakaway for practically the entire stage, before being caught just two kilometers from the finish. Obviously the four also dominated the day's intermediate sprints: Gonçalo Rodrigues was fastest in the intermediate sprint at Alandroal and in the second sprint at Vila Viçosa, while Lebo won the third-category climb at Castelo de Monsaraz and the first bonus sprint at Vila Viçosa. José Moreira also claimed the EBRO award for combativity.

Once the breakaway was reabsorbed, the sprinters prepared for a technical climb to the finish. Gonçalo Rodrigues still had enough energy to launch a surprise attack, but crashed in the final kilometer. Rui Oliveira, wearing the yellow jersey of the Jogos Santa Casa, chased the stage victory and finished in fifth place, but in the final meters it was Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua who celebrated, thanks to the Linarez-Matias duo, with the latter being the best Portuguese rider of the stage.

"Maybe I launched my sprint a bit too early. I was already at my limit when they passed me. I have to congratulate Linarez and Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua. I'll keep trying. I've been in contention every day and the victory will come. Reaching Torre with the Yellow Jersey was one of my objectives and it will be truly special," said Rui Oliveira.

The Olympic champion therefore remains the leader of the General Classification, while Daniel Cavia (Burgos-Burpellet-BH) continues to lead the Points Classification and wears the Orange Galp Jersey. In the climbers' classification, the Blue Continente Jersey remains in the hands of Oscar Rota (Feira dos Sofás-Boavista), while Adrià Pericas (UAE Team Emirates XRG) continues to lead the Young Riders Classification and wears the White Paredes Rota dos Móveis Jersey.

So far the Volta has been dominated by the fastest riders, but Sunday enters a new phase. Buckle up: the Torre climb is coming, which represents the first real test for the general classification contenders.

FINISHING ORDER

1st 103 10089663043 MENESES Leangel Elite TAVFER-OVOS MATINADOS-MORTÁGUA (POR) 4:21:42
2nd 101 10007815756 MATIAS João Elite TAVFER-OVOS MATINADOS-MORTÁGUA (POR) 4:21:42 s.t.
3rd 111 10010116272 CONTTE Tomas Elite AVILUDO - LOULETANO - LOULÉ (POR) 4:21:42 s.t.
4th 76 10042535490 BONILLO Iker Elite FEIRA DOS SOFÁS - BOAVISTA (POR) 4:21:42 s.t.
5th 13 10009191136 OLIVEIRA Rui Elite UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG (UAE) 4:21:42 s.t.
6th 22 10041869830 CAVIA Daniel Elite BURGOS-BURPELLET-BH (ESP) 4:21:42 s.t.
7th 2 10009870035 MESA Santiago Elite ANICOLOR/CAMPICARN (POR) 4:21:42 s.t.
8th 41 10011044442 EINHORN Itamar Elite NSN DEVELOPMENT TEAM (SUI) 4:21:42 s.t.
9th 155 10041175672 NAVAS Alvaro* Sub23 ÓBIDOS CYCLING TEAM (POR) 4:21:42 s.t.
10th 83 10010714238 CAMPOS Francisco Elite TEAM TAVIRA - CRÉDITO AGRÍCOLA (POR) 4:21:42 s.t.