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Alves Bandeira returns to sponsor the Figueira Champions Classic cycling race
2024-03-14The 2024
edition of the Figueira Champions Classic, sponsored by the Alves Bandeira
brand as the official energy sponsor, once again featured some of the world's
best cyclists. Notable Portuguese participants included João Almeida, António
Morgado, and Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates), Rui Costa (EF
Education-EasyPost), and Rúben Guerreiro (Movistar). Other prominent contenders
for victory included Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick-Step), Mikel Landa (Soudal –
Quick Step), and Andrea Bagioli (Lidl – Trek).
In a region
where the Alves Bandeira brand enjoys high visibility and operates a total of 6
fuel stations, the race began in the city of Figueira da Foz, covering a total
of 14 parishes along a 221-kilometer route.
From the
outset, it was clear that the cyclists would face a series of demanding
challenges, not only due to steep climbs and dizzying descents but also because
each turn and straight stretch of the course required high concentration and
technical skill. Additionally, the weather conditions throughout the day added
an extra layer of complexity, with strong winds and sudden changes in weather,
challenging competitors to quickly adapt to the circumstances and demonstrate
their high level of endurance and determination.
At the end
of the 221 kilometers, divided into four laps, the overall winner was Remco
Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), who claimed victory in the second edition of the
Figueira Classic by arriving solo after launching an attack over 50 kilometers
from the finish line. Evenepoel, the current world time trial champion, crossed
the finish line after 04:42.25 hours, ahead of his compatriot Vito Braet
(Intermarché-Wanty) and Italian Simone Velasco (Astana), who finished second
and third, respectively.
Remco
succeeds Danish rider Casper Pedersen, also from Soudal Quick-Step, who won the
inaugural edition of the race last year. This season, the race was promoted to
the UCI ProSeries category, the second most important on the international
calendar.
A total of
160 riders from 23 teams participated in the race, five more teams than in the
2023 edition, including 10 World Tour teams, 4 ProTeams, and 9 Portuguese
continental teams.