UCI changes dates for Portuguese competitions: Back to Portugal starts 10 August. Lisbon, Viseu, Gaia and Porto on the list for start or end. Joaquim Agostinho Trophy starts in June. "Alentejana" maintains the initial dates of 16 a 20 March.
The UCI decided to change some of the dates proposed by the Portuguese Cycling Federation, claiming hits on the Europe Tour calendar. Continental calendars are usually approved and disseminated during the World Championships, but only yesterday due to the changes came to the public.
The Return to Portugal proposal of 4 a 15 August will be disputed between 10 and 21, coinciding with the Tour Benelux that is disputed between 7 and 13 and the Tour of Spain that will run between 19 and 11 of September, The Round of Valleys, Tour of the Limousin and Volta in Denmark, to which must be added some more staged and one-day tests. The Joaquim Agostinho Trophy who had requested the dates of 14 a 17 of July also underwent changes, doing-be between 30 June and 3 July, keeping the planned four days.
These changes penalize the Portuguese teams that will have to face a period of 37 days without competitions, if it is not possible to place a staged event on the national calendar during that period. The remaining Portuguese competitions that are part of the international calendar have been confirmed, Arrábida classic runs to 13 March, Return to the Algarve from 16 a 20 February simultaneously with the Volta a Andalusia and the Volta ao Alentejo de 16 a 20 March.
Due to changes in some municipalities due to elections, the starting and ending city of the Volta a Portugal is unknown, being that Lisbon, Viseu, Porto and Gaia are open possibilities, while in the next quadrennium the race will return to the Algarve, according to the agreement between PĂłdium Events and the Portuguese Cycling Federation. Galicia, which this year received the final of the Tour of Spain in Santiago de Compostela, has been receptive to receiving the Volta a Portugal, with the completion of the prologue, preceded the day before by the presentation of the teams and start of the 1st stage. The interest of the Board of Galicia is nothing new, as its main obstacle is the reduced number of days of competition. It is recalled that in 2008, the Paredes Rota dos MĂłveis Grand Prix departed from Galicia, with the completion of the 1st stage between Santigo de Compostela and PadrĂłn, followed by the connection between Pontevedra and Paredes the following day.
Three great laps start abroad
Next year the three big rounds will start abroad, Unipublic, organizer of the Tour of Spain, confirmed its achievement between 19 August and 11 of September, departing from the Netherlands. In accordance with the established contract, in addition to the presentation ceremony on the day 18, consists of three steps, a time trial by Utrecht teams and two stages in a row, S-Hertogenbosch – Utrecht and Breda – Breda.
The Tour de France that will be disputed between 1 and 24 July, starts in Denmark where three stages will be disputed. An individual time trial on the first day and two stages online, Rosskilde - Nyborg e Vejle - Sondeborg. The Tour to Italy scheduled for 7 a 29 May, must depart from Hungary, resuming the program that was canceled on 2020 due to the pandemic, with three stages in Hungarian territory, Budapest – Budapest, Budapest - Gyor and Székesfehérvár - Nagykanizsa.
article: Fernando EmĂlio/ A Bola
