Volta ao Algarve guide
Mark Cavendish and Alberto Contador among big names in action
Last Updated: 23/02/14 6:04pm
This year's race is made up of two sprint stages, two mountain stages and a 13.6km time trial, and should provide a good barometer of early-season form.
The event was held over four largely flat stages last year, but organisers have reintroduced a fifth day for the 40th edition and brought big mountains back into the equation.
The time trial on stage three should be of interest to Alex Dowsett, who is the reigning British national time trial champion.
However, he will face stiff competition from last year's winner, Tony Martin, who is back to defend his title in 2014 and will be keen to impress in the race against the clock.
Stages
Stage 1: Wednesday, February 19 - Faro to Albufeira - 160km | Report
Result
1 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre-Merida, 3:51:46
2 Rui Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida, same time
3 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, st
4 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Europcar, st
5 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Wanty-Groupe Gobert, st
6 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ, st
7 Edgar Pinto (Por) LA Aluminios-Antarte, st
8 Daniel Schorn (Aut) NetApp-Endura, st
9 Alexey Tsatevich (Rus) Katusha, st
10 Juan Jose Lobato (Spa) Movistar, st
General classification
1 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre-Merida, 3:51:36
2 Cesar Fonte (Por) Radio Popular, +1sec
3 Rui Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida, +4
4 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, +6
5 Luis Alfonso (Por) LA Aluminios-Antarte, same time
6 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Europcar, +10
7 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Wanty-Groupe Gobert, st
8 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ, st
9 Mikael Delage (Fra) FDJ, st
10 Edgar Pinto (Por) LA Aluminios-Antarte, st
Stage 2: Thursday, February 20 - Lagoa to Monchique - 196km | Report
Result
1 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, 4:57:57
2 Rui Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida, +6secs
3 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo, same time
4 Eduard Prades (Por) OFM-Quinta da Lixa, +7
5 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ, +17
6 Sergei Chernetskiy (Rus) Katusha, same time
7 Chris Horner (USA) Lampre-Merida, st
8 Sergey Firsanov (Rus) RusVelo, st
9 Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Movistar, st
10 Edgar Pinto (Por) LA Aluminios-Antarte, st
General classification
1 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, 8:49:33
2 Rui Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida, +4secs
3 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo, +12
4 Eduard Prades (Por) OFM-Quinta da Lixa, +16
5 Edgar Pinto (Por) LA Aluminios-Antarte, +27
6 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, same time
7 Sergei Chernetskiy (Rus) Katusha, st
8 Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Movistar, st
9 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha, st
10 Chris Horner (USA) Lampre-Merida, st
Stage 3: Friday, February 21 - Vila do Bispo to Sagres - 13.6km individual time trial | Report
Result
1 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, 14:03
2 Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar, +11secs
3 Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, +13
4 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo, +20
5 Alex Dowsett (GB) Movistar, +25
6 Jan Barta (Cze) NetApp-Endura, +28
7 Rick Flens (Ned) Belkin, +29
8 Thomas de Gednt (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, +30
9 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin, same time
10 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ, +33
Selected other
22 Mark Cavendish (GB) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, +44
General classification
1 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, 9:03:36
2 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo, +32secs
3 Rui Costa (Por) Movistar, +38
4 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ, +1:00
5 Sergei Chernetskiy (Rus) Katusha, +1:03
6 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin, +1:08
7 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, +1:20
8 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha, +1:23
9 Chris Horner (USA) Lampre-Merida, +1:24
10 Eduard Prades (Spa) OFM-Quinta da Lixa, +1:25
Stage 4: Saturday, February 22 - Almodovar to Alto do Malhao - 164.5km | Report
Result
1 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo, 4:02:08
2 Rui Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida, +3secs
3 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, +10
4 Eduard Prades (Spa) OFM-Quinta da Lixa, +13
5 Tiago Machado (Por) NetApp-Endura, +14
6 Chris Horner (USA) Lampre-Merida, same time
7 Edgar Pinto (Por) LA Aluminios-Antarte, +16
8 Pello Bilbao (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, st
9 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ, st
10 Sergey Firsanov (Rus) RusVelo, +17
General classification
1 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, 13:05:50
2 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo, +16secs
3 Rui Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida, +29
4 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ, +1:10
5 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin, +1:29
6 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, +1:30
7 Chris Horner (USA) Lampre-Merida, +1:31
8 Eduard Prades (Spa) OFM-Quinta da Lixa, +1:32
9 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha, +1:38
10 Edgar Pinto (Por) LA Aluminios-Antarte, +1:41
Stage 5: Sunday, February 23 - Tavira to Vilamoura - 155.8km | Report
Result
1 Mark Cavendish (GB) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, 3:24:10
2 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ, same time
3 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Europcar, st
4 Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spa) Movistar, st
5 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre-Merida, st
6 Alexey Tsatevich (Rus) Katusha, st
7 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Wanty-Groupe Gobert, st
8 Igor Boev (Rus) RusVelo, st
9 Tom Leezer (Ned) Belkin, st
10 Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ, st
Final general classification
1 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, 16:29:57
2 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo, +19secs
3 Rui Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida, +32
4 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ, +1:13
5 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin, +1:32
6 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, +1:33
7 Eduard Prades (Spa) OFM-Quinta da Lixa, +1:35
8 Chris Horner (USA) Lampre-Merida, same time
9 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha, +1:41
10 Edgar Pinto (Por) LA Aluminios-Antarte, +1:42
The favourites
Albert Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) is the biggest name on show in terms of general classification contenders and will be keen to make an early statement in 2014 with a good display. Rui Costa will be equally eager to impress now he has the team leadership of Lampre-Merida, while Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step) has shown good form already this year and could challenge for a place on the podium.
Brit watch
Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step), Alex Dowsett (Movistar), Jonathan McEvoy (NetApp-Endura), Erick Rowsell (NetApp-Endura)
Key stage
Stage four's summit finish on Alto do Malhao will give the major shake-up and the man who wins this stage will have a very good chance of claiming overall victory.
