Following third place taken in yesterday’s stage, Davide Vigano stepped up and won a sprint from reduced peloton to claim his career’s maiden professional victory at the Volta a Portugal, while Victor de la Parte maintained a lead in the general classification of the Portuguese event.

Second stage of the Volta a Portugal kicked off again under a perfect summer sky, with riders expected to negotiate a lumpy 171.8 kilometer long route including three categorized climbs inserted in its final 50 kilometers. With a slightly downhill finish, however, a major shakedown in the general classification wasn’t expected as breakaway artists or more resistant sprinters should decide a stage.

Just as it was a case in yesterday’s first stage, first six-rider breakaway was formed inside first five kilometers and consisted of Alberto Galego (Radio Popular – Onda – Boavista), yesterday’s most aggressive rider Luis Afonso (LA Aluminios-Antarte), Victor Valinho (Louletano – Dunas Douradas), Juan Martinez (Burgos-BH), Max Walsleben (Team Stuttgart) and Carlos Ribeiro (Selecao Portuguesa).

However, there was no permission in the peloton to give escapees a leeway as Banco BIC – Carmim riders took responsibility for a chase, emphasizing their ambitions to target points classification with Manuel Cardoso.

Es expected, early breakaway was reeled in after 30 kilometers of riding, just before a first intermediate sprint won by yesterday’s winner and definitely the most powerful sprinter of the Volta a Portugal Phil Bauhaus (Team Stolting), ahead of Cardoso and Vicente de Mateus (Louletano – Dunas Douradas).

As sprinter teams were satisfied after deciding the first intermediate sprint, next group of riders jumped clear on a 40 kilometers mark and this time consisted of Frederico Figueiredo (Radio Popular – Onda – Boavista), Victor Valinho (Louletano – Dunas Douradas), Juan Martinez (Burgos-BH), Kota Sumiyoshi (Team Ukyo), and again persistent Luis Afonso (LA Aluminios- Antarte).

This team there was an acquiescence in the peloton to give escapees a little bit of leeway and so the gap quickly increased to over 2:30 as the riders reached a 50 kilometer mark, while Efapel- Glassdrive and Team Stolting swaped turns at the front, with Caja Rural and Banco BIC – Carmim also being visible.

After over 90 kilometers of racing escapees reached a biggest advantage over the peloton, 4:26, but a gap was quickly reduced by leader’s team to less than two minutes as breakaway reached the second intermediate sprint of the day on 108.4 kilometer mark, won by Valinho ahead of Figueiredo and Afonso.

The trio contesting an intermediate sprint gained an advantage over remaining two escapees and left them behind, but with 50 kilometers to go the real racing was about to start what forecasted a quick end of escapees’ ambitions.

As it was expected, front trio was reeled in by the peloton before reaching a summit of 3rd category climb in Sameiro for the first time, where the first KOM sprint was won by Joao Pereira (Banco BIC – Carmim) with a current mountains classification leader Pablo Torres (Burgos – BH) coming second and Figueirado third.

Third intermediate sprint of the day was played as riders crossed a finish line in Braga for the first time, and this time was won by Manuel Cardoso ahead of Rafael Reis (Banco BIC – Carmim) and Filipe Cardoso (Efapel – Glassdrive).

As everything went together, leader’s team dictated a steady pace while negotiating the Sameiro climb for the second time, with Team Stolting and Caja Rural also being visible at the front of the peloton. The second KOM sprint of today’s stage was won by António Carvalho (LA Aluminios – Antarte) ahead of Joăo Pereira, Henrique Casimiro (Banco Bic – Carmim), Christian Mager (Team Stolting), Hélder Ferreira (Efapel – Glassdrive) and Ricardo Mestre (Efapel – Glassdrive).

Several riders tried attacks while ascending today’s sole climb for the third time, but fierce pace dictated by Efapel-Glassdrive together with Team Stolting and Caja Rural reeled all escapees in and wreaked havoc in the peloton, with a group of less than 30 riders cresting the summit.

Carvalho again emphasized his ambitions to contest mountain classification as he has won the final sprint of the day and became a virtual KOM leader, ahead of Luis Leon Sanchez (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA), Delio Fernandez (OFM - Quinta da Lixa), Rui Sousa (Radio Popular - Onda – Boavista), Ricardo Mestre (Efapel – Glassdrive) and Gustavo Veloso (OFM - Quinta da Lixa).

Riders dropped on the final ascent to Sameiro didn’t manage to rejoin a 30-rider front group on a downhill section to the finish, and so the stage was decided in a sprint from a reduced peloton, with Davide Vigano (Caja Rural) taking his career’s maiden professional win after opening a long sprint with 400 meters to go. Filipe Cardoso (Efapel – Glassdrive) came second and Hugo Sabido (LA Aluminios – Antarte) third.  

A race leader Victor de la Parte stayed safe at the front of the reduced peloton and as expected, maintained his lead in the general classification.