Tiago Machado and Jose Mendes will get a rare chance to race on home soil when they lead NetApp-Endura in the Volta ao Algarve. The duo will focus on the GC while Daniel Schorn will be on hand for the sprint stages and Jan Barta for the time trial.

With second place in the opening stage, two more top-ten stage rankings and sixth place in the general classification last year, NetApp-Endura’s new member Tiago Machado is proving to be one of the favorites in this, the fortieth edition of the Volta ao Algarve. The halving of the time trial distance and the role of captain for Team NetApp-Endura could further increase the 28-year-old Portuguese rider’s chances.

His fellow countryman José Mendes has also set his sights high. Together, the NetApp-Endura duo aims to make waves in their home race.

“Naturally, Tiago and José have high hopes for their home race. This year, we deliberately passed on the overseas races. This will be a big advantage when it comes to our main goals in the summer, but at the moment the boys just aren’t as race-ready as most of their fellow competitors. That’s why we’re taking it day by day and trying to get stage placings, so that we can also be successful in the classification”, says Sport Director Christian Pömer, offering his cautious prognosis.

Thanks to the terrain, which ranges from hilly to mountainous, the race itself can be considered quite demanding. The first day maybe for sprinters, but already on the second stage the route becomes hilly.

On the third day, there is a short but fast time trial on the program before the riders tackle stage four, which will probably decide the race. Here, with the category two Alto do Malhão, a not particularly long, but sufficiently selective mountain finish awaits the peloton.

The final stage is likely to bring few changes to the overall classification, and the four final circuits in Vilamoura should make it easy for the team of the overall leader to control the race in cooperation with the sprinter teams.

“I think the route profile will suit Tiago. The time trial is not on the final day, as it has been before; the mountain finish should fit with his riding style and the fans by the side of the road will no doubt give him and José the feeling of a home game. If we can go into the time trials without losing any time, then things will look good for us. Tiago and José are certainly fresher than many of our competitors and will hopefully get stronger by the day. We are certainly not starting the race as clear favorites, but we’re going to make sure we use whatever chances we have!” explains Sport Director Christian Pömer.

NetApp-Endura for the Volta ao Algarve

Tiago Machado, Jose Mendes, Jan Barta, Iker Camano, Erick Rowsell, Jonathan McEvoy, Daniel Schorn and Paul Voss