In the year of commemoration of 40 years of the Volta ao Alentejo, Beja will be the starting point of the 40th edition of the race, who will be on the road 22 a 26 March. The last time the race started in the city, it was in the distant year of 2005.
The race starts in Beja, which for the ninth time is the starting point for Alentejana, with the connection on the first day to Ourique with the finish line at the end of the ramp next to the City Hall, in the week in which the Alentejano Pig Fair takes place in that village.
Beja is the queen of the beginning of the Volta ao Alentejo, what has already happened in 8 occasions (1991, 94, 95, 98, 2001, 02, 04, 05). Noting the fact that eighteen of the forty-seven municipal seats in Alentejo have already received the start of the race.
The Castro Verde-Grândola stages follow, Sales Novas-Estremoz, Crato-Castelo de Vide and Monforte-Évora. The penultimate stage with the end in Castelo de Vide, have a foray into Serra de S. Mamede with passage next to the antennas, at the highest point of Alentejo located 1.025 altitude meters, which should be decisive in the calculations for the general classification.
Ourique welcomed arrivals from the Volta ao Alentejo on two occasions, in 2008, with departure from Zambujeira do Mar and which ended with the victory of Manuel Cardoso (Liberty Seguros) is at 2012, in a call from Odemira and which was won by the Russian Serghey Shilov (Locomotive pink). The “Pork Capital of Alentejoâ€, there was an “Alentejana†match, in the year of 2013, which ended an Odemira with the triumph of the American, Thomas Zirbel (Optus)
Castro Verde, on the other hand, had not received Vilta from Alentejo since 1996, year of Miguel Indurain's presence, with the curiosity of his brother Prudêncio having won the stage which ended in “Vila do Campo Branco†starting in Sines and then in the afternoon in Mértola, shooting that started in Castro Verde.
The platoon that may still undergo some changes, the presence of the nine Portuguese Continental teams has been confirmed, the two best classified in the ranking of club-sub teams 23 da UVP/FPC, joined by the Spanish Burgos-BH, Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, Kern Pharma e Electro Hiper Europa, the Angolans from Bai-Sicasal-Petro de Luanda, which this season has three Spaniards and one Cuban, the Germans from Bike Aid and the British from Trinity.
Beja on the Volta ao Alentejo
The last time the race started in Beja, It occurred on 25 May 2005, in a stage that started and finished near the city's Castle and was won by Pedro Soeiro (Carvalhelhos/Boavista). The first time “Alentejana†started in Beja, It happened 7 April 1991, with an individual time trial won by António Pinto (Sicasal/Acral).
The old lady Pax Júlia was already at the beginning of stages in 21 occasions, the last of which was last year on the connection to Portel, while you have already received 26 end of stages, two of which coincided with the end of the race, in 2003 and 2006.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
News: Lidador News/A Bola
