Team Sky’s Michal Kwaitkowski has won the 44th Volta Ao Algarve in Portugal.
Geraint Thomas of Team Sky was the leader going into the final 173.5km stage from Faro to Malhão (Loulé)
It was a stage which saw Quick Step Floors Zdenek Stybar take the first sprint after 16.8kms and a group of thirty riders go clear and have a lead of 4.31 with 57kms raced.
Twenty kilometres later and with Team Sky on the front, the gap was down to 3.45.
After 88kms, the front group split and Jelle Wallays (Lotto Soudal), Dimitri Claeys (Cofidis) and Timothy Dupont (Wanty), were ahead, chased by Jurgen Roelandts (BMC) and Rúben Guerreiro (Trek-Segafredo).
They were caught and a group of twenty five riders then led with Lukas Postlberger (Bora).getting a minute clear of the other twenty four riders, which were split when Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky), Ruben Guerreiro (Trek-Segafredo), Serge Pauwels (Team Dimension Data) and Simon Geschke (Team Sunweb) chased down Postlberger who was first over the second category Alto do Malhão after 132kms.
With 23kms to go, Kwaitkowski’s group were 3.02 ahead of the peloton , 36 seconds behind Postlberger and Stybar and it was looking like the Pole, who was second on GC going into the final stage, winning the race instead of Geraint Thomas.
There was eleven kilometres to go when Stybar pushed off on his own, only to be caught by Michal Kwaitkowski who led going into the final kilometre and went on to win the stage in 4.18.02 and the race overall.
KEV MONKS FOR DIGITAL SPORTS GROUP
Source: DSG
