February 19, 2026
A short stage should provide fireworks in the first opportunity to make an impact on the GC. After leaving Portimão, the riders will have four small climbs to tackle in the first 100KM with flat roads in between. The third climb is 2.7KM long at 7.9% and it is quickly followed by the categorized climb of Alferce, a 4.3KM climb at 6% up to the Castelo. The race for position will be on in the next 30KM because the final 15KM of the stage are difficult. A 2KM, 8% climb up to Casais brings the riders to the base of the of the Alto da Fóia. The riders won't go up the traditional ascent to the Alto da Fóia, instead a more difficult side has been found and will be used. The new ascent is 8.8KM at 6.2% but there is a 1,700M stretch near the top that averages nearly 10% which will bring the strongest riders forward.
Race Summary
After rolling out from Portimão, a break with a similar composition from yesterday got away with many of local Portuguese teams represented. The group was eight riders made up of Gorka Sorarrain of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, Tomas Contte and German Nicolás Tivani of Aviludo-Louletano-Loulé, Iker Bonillo of Feira dos Sofás-Boavista, Hugo Nunes of Credibom-LA Alumínios-Marcos Car, Leangel Rubén Linarez of Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua, Enzo Leijnse of Anicolor-Campicarn, and Alexandre Montez of Feirense-Beeceler. With 69KM to go, the leaders had 1 minute 35 seconds on the bunch who were being paced by UAE-XRG and Lidl-Trek.
Other teams such as Ineos, Redbull-Bora Hansgrohe, and Lotto Intermarché came forward to mark their positions at the front of the bunch. The lush, green Alferce climb was taken on at a reasonable pace with the peloton still blocked across the road. At the top, the break had split down to five riders with 45.5KM to go and a reduced gap of around 1 minute. Ineos led down the twisting descent with wide vistas over their left shoulder.
The gap remained around the same along the verdant valley road as the peloton rode towards Dobra alongside the Odelouca River and groves of orange trees. The break reached Casais, the penultimate climb of the day, and the group split under the pressure of Mountains Leader, Contte, who was desperate for the points at the top. Sorarrain was the only one to follow but the peloton were nipping at the heals, just 25 seconds behind. Contte did a strong effort and made it to the top in the lead and immediately peeled off. Decathlon CMA CGM led the peloton over the top 15 seconds later with 16KM to go.
Sorarrain was caught and UAE-XRG came to the front but it was Decathlon CMA CGM that led through the narrow left turn on to the base of the Alto da Fóia with 8.8KM to go. Lidl-Trek took over and piled on the pressure right from the bottom. The group was still 25 riders with 5KM to go but Lidl-Trek burned through resources and had just one more man in front of Juan Ayuso.
Ayuso made his attack just inside 4KM to go and was followed straight away by João Almeida of UAE-XRG and Paul Seixas of Decathlon CMA CGM. Seixas hit the gas and, with 3KM to go, Almeida was yo-yo'ing on the back but regained contact 500M later. At 1,700M from the line, Oscar Onley of Ineos attacked from the chase group and bridged up to the Almeida group but he had Matthew Riccitello with him, making two Decathlon CMA CGM riders in the front group of five. Riccitello took a breath and went to the front to set the pace. Under 1KM to go, Almeida made a ferocious seated acceleration but it only briefly distanced Riccitello. Almeida went again at 600M but the others were glued to his wheel and no separation was made. Almeida continued to lead the group until about 275M to go when Seixas opened his sprint and came to the front. The finish was narrow and Seixas took the corners tight and quick. Almeida was slightly distanced but Ayuso was up for the fight. Seixas took the final corner at 75M in the lead but Ayuso got a good jump and the pair came to the line side by side. It was just a little too short for Ayuso to completely get on terms and Seixas raised his arm in victory for the first time this season. Almeida crossed the line in third at 1 second with Onley in fourth at 4 seconds and Riccitello in fifth at 6 seconds.
Ayuso picked up 3 bonus seconds yesterday and 1 on the road today so with his 6 seconds on the line, he now sits on the same time as Seixas in GC. On countback, Ayuso assumes the race lead with Seixas in second and Almeida in third at 7 seconds.