The opening stage of the Tour of Algarve ended in chaos on Wednesday when most of the peloton took the wrong road just before the finish, and race organisers later cancelled the results.
When the riders came through a roundabout just before the home straight, the lead car went the wrong side of the barriers and the majority of the bunch followed suit, leaving the crowd bewildered as they watched two races unfurl.
The mix-up left Italy’s Filippo Ganna with an easier than expected sprint finish and the Ineos Grenadiers rider raised his arms in celebration well before he crossed the line. His joy was short-lived, however. No winner’s ceremony took place, the podium in Lagos was left empty and the 192.2km ride from Portimão was all in vain.
“I took the right route, and I won. Nothing more to say,” said Ganna.
He then told Eurosport, “I know that everyone took the wrong route, and I took the right one. You need to know the rules, and you need to know the course. In the past, I took the wrong route during the time trial, and because of that, I lost the race. Now it’s different, and I win.”
🚴♂️Filippo Ganna vence a primeira etapa da Volta ao Algarve 🥇
— Eurosport Portugal (@EurosportTV_Por) February 19, 2025
😱 Chegada marcada por uma enorme confusão e com um grande grupo de ciclistas a errar o percurso já nos metros finais pic.twitter.com/RdNStsQVwY
Race organisers later explained their decision, saying in a statement: “On the approach to the finish line in Lagos, the peloton became divided and a large number of the riders took the wrong route, followed the detour of the support cars and missed the finish line.”
The race director, Sergio Sousa, said: “The College of Commissaires interpreted the regulations and, given what happened, decided to cancel the stage because they considered that sporting truth did not prevail in the end.”
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The peloton will set off for Thursday’s second stage with the clock reset to zero.