Figueira Champions Classic 2026

February 14, 2026 The 192KM Figueira Champions Classic is a good warm-up for the upcoming Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta that starts in four days' time. If you take out the circuitous nature of the Amstel Gold Race, the profile of today's race most resembles a shorter version of the Dutch Spring classic. The first 100KM are lumpy on a lap North of Figueira da Foz with some sharp spikes to get over but the peloton should stay all together. With 90KM remaining, the riders enter a 29.5KM circuit taken on three times. On each lap are two difficult climbs. The first is the Rua Parque Forestal, a 2.3KM rise at 7.8%. There is a short plateau before descending on a stunning coastal road along the Mondego Cape with ocean waves that break heavily on the rocky shore. The road ramps one more time on the 800M, 7.3% Enforca Cães before a quick 6KM run to the finish line back in Figueira da Foz. The start was cool at just 10C (50F) but the sun was out and spirits were high, especially among those Portuguese riders who get few days of racing on home soil. A break of seven got away early and when they came around to the finish line for two laps remaining, the group consisted of four riders including Cedric Beullens of Lotto Intermarché, Pedro Pinto of Efapel Cycling, Rafael Reis of Anicolor-Campicarn, and Iker Gómez of Equipo Kern Pharma. The peloton started the penultimate ascent of the Rua Parque Forestal with a deficit of 2 minutes 50 seconds and the first accelerations came from the bottom by Redbull-Bora Hansgrohe. Dani Martinez of Redbull-Bora Hansgrohe made the first attack near the top of the climb. He was followed by Brandon McNulty of UAE-XRG, Riley Sheehan of NSN Cycling, and Max Poole of Picnic-PostNL. By the bottom of the descent with 42KM to go, the break had 1 minute 10 seconds on the McNulty group and 1 minute 50 seconds on the peloton. Lidl-Trek and EF-Education EasyPost were trying to spur the bunch on but UAE-XRG and Picnic-PostNL were doing a good job blocking and disrupting and moves. On the Enforca Cães, Beullens and Gómez were the only ones left in the break and they were about to be joined by the McNulty group who were just 10 seconds behind. The catch was made with 32KM to go near the ruins of the Santa Catarina Fort on the Praia de Buarcos. It was still just EF-Education EasyPost doing the chasing and, as they crossed the finish line for one lap to go, the gap was 45 seconds. The men in pink got some help from Lotto Intermarché and the peloton finally started to make progress. The race came all back together as they took the right turn on to the Rua Parque Forestal for the final time. McNulty of UAE-XRG immediately went to the front but halfway up, the pace went out and the peloton was spread across the road as if everyone was waiting to see who would go. McNulty hit it one more time to punch over the top and he forced a group of seven off the front with a chase group at around 10 seconds. The front group contained McNulty, his teammate and last year's winner, António Morgado, Dani Martinez once again, Pau Martí of NSN Cycling, Jarno Widar of Lotto Intermarché, Thomas Gloag of Pinarello Q36.5, and Alex Aranburu of Cofidis. McNulty did all of the work along the plateau and they were pulling away from the bunch who were being led by EF-Education EasyPost and Lidl-Trek who missed the moves again. McNulty was still the only one pulling in the front and the bunch closed down from around 20 seconds to just 5 or 6 at the start of the Enforca Cães. Aranburu broke the accord by attacking from behind McNulty but he was followed by the entire group. Morgado closed down Aranburu and counter attacked. Aranburu was the only one to hang on and he sat in tight behind Morgado as the road tipped downward towards Figueira de Foz. Martí and Widar formed the first chase group at around 8 seconds but the two leaders were really strong and had enough of a gap to feel good about contesting the win between themselves. Morgado led through the flamme rouge and Aranburu stopped taking pulls. It took until 180M to go when the sprint opened up. Aranburu had the quicker pop and was able to draw level with Morgado but the Portuguese rider had the sprint endurance and was able to hold the speed to the line to take a repeat win. Behind, Martí took the sprint from Widar for third place and McNulty, man of the match, finished 9 seconds down in sixth.