2011 Volta ao Algarve - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 2011 Volta ao Algarve is the 37th edition of the Volta ao Algarve

Volta ao Algarve

The Volta ao Algarve is a road bicycle racing stage race held annually in the Algarve, Portugal. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. Due to its early February position in the European calendar, it is used by many riders to prepare for the Spring...

cycling stage race. It is being held from 16–20 February 2011, and is rated as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour

2010–2011 UCI Europe Tour

The 2010–2011 UCI Europe Tour is the seventh season of the UCI Europe Tour. The 2010–2011 season begins 28 October 2010 with the Tour of Marmara in Turkey and is scheduled to end 16 October 2011 with the Chrono des Nations.- Events :...

. Just like the previous year, it started at the Algarve Stadium in Faro

Faro, Portugal

Faro is the southernmost city in Portugal. It is located in the Faro Municipality in southern Portugal. The city proper has 41,934 inhabitants and the entire municipality has 58,305. It is the seat of the Faro District and capital of the Algarve region...

and ended with an individual time trial

Individual time trial

An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...

in Portimão

Portimão

Portimão is a Portuguese town located in the District of Faro in the Region of Algarve, the southern coast of Portugal. It was formerly known as Vila Nova de Portimão . In 1924, it was incorporated as a cidade and became known merely as Portimão. The town has 41,000 inhabitants and the Portimão...

Teams and cyclists

There were 21 teams in the 2010 Volta ao Algarve. Among them were 12 UCI ProTour

UCI ProTour

The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...

teams, five UCI Professional Continental teams, and four Continental teams. Each team was allowed eight riders on their squad, giving the event a peloton

Peloton

The peloton , field, bunch or pack is the large main group of riders in a road bicycle race. Riders in a group save energy by riding close near other riders...

of 168 cyclists at its outset.

The 21 teams in the race were:
UCI ProTour

UCI ProTour

Teams

UCI Professional Continental Teams

Caja Rural
Caja Rural
Caja Rural is a professional continental cycling team based in Spain that participates in UCI Europe Tour races and UCI World Tour events when given a wildcard invitation. The team was founded in 2010.- Major results :2010...
CCC Polsat Polkowice
CCC Polsat Polkowice
CCC Polsat Polkowice is a UCI Professional Continental cycling team based in Poland. Formerly CCC Mat, the team became known as CCC Polsat in 2002. In 2004 and 2005, the team was known as Hoop CCC-Polsat , reverting to CCC Polsat in 2006...

UCI Continental Teams

Barbot-Efapel
LA-Antarte
Onda
Tavira-Prio

Stage 1

16 February 2011 – Algarve Stadium to Albufeira

Albufeira

Albufeira is a Portuguese municipality in the Faro District, Algarve region. Its name came from the Arabic: البحيرة . The city has a population of 13,646. The municipality has a population of 35,281 inhabitants and a total area of 140.6 km²...

, 157.5 km (97.9 mi)

Stage 1 results

	Cyclist	Team	Time
1			4h 36' 36"
2			+ 5"
3			+ 5"
4			+ 5"
5			+ 5"
6			+ 5"
7			+ 5"
8			+ 5"
9			+ 5"
10			+ 5"

General Classification after Stage 1

	Cyclist	Team	Time
1			4h 36' 26"
2			+ 9"
3			+ 11"
4			+ 15"
5			+ 15"
6			+ 15"
7			+ 15"
8			+ 15"
9			+ 15"
10			+ 15"

Stage 2

17 February 2011 – Lagoa to Lagos

Lagos, Portugal

Lagos is a municipality at the mouth of Bensafrim River and along the Atlantic Ocean, in the Barlavento region of the Algarve, in southern Portugal....

, 186.5 km (115.9 mi)

Stage 2 results

	Team	Time
1		4h 57' 56"
2		s.t.
3		s.t.
4		+ 1"
5		+ 1"
6		+ 1"
7	Barbot-Efapel	+ 1"
8		+ 1"
9		+ 1"
10		+ 1"

General Classification after Stage 2

	Team	Time
1		9h 34' 23"
2		+ 4"
3		+ 8"
4		+ 9"
5		+ 10"
6		+ 15"
7	Barbot-Efapel	+ 15"
8		+ 15"
9		+ 15"
10		+ 15"

Stage 3

18 February 2011 – Tavira

Tavira

Tavira is a Portuguese city, situated at 37°07' north, 7°39' west in the east of the Algarve on the south coast of Portugal. It is 30 km east of Faro and 160 km west of Seville in Spain. The Gilão River meets the Atlantic Ocean in Tavira....

to Malhão, 179.2 km (111.3 mi)

Stage 3 results

	Cyclist	Team	Time
1			4h 56' 19"
2			s.t.
3			s.t.
4			s.t.
5			s.t.
6			+ 6"
7			+ 16"
8			+ 16"
9			+ 16"
10			+ 16"

General Classification after Stage 3

	Cyclist	Team	Time
1			14h 30' 47"
2			+ 6"
3			+ 10"
4			+ 12"
5			+ 18"
6			+ 26"
7			+ 26"
8			+ 26"
9			+ 30"
10			+ 31"

Stage 4

19 February 2011 – Albufeira

Albufeira

to Tavira

Tavira

, 167.3 km (104 mi)

Stage 4 results

	Cyclist	Team	Time
1			3h 56' 55"
2			s.t.
3			s.t.
4			s.t.
5			s.t.
6			s.t.
7			s.t.
8			s.t.
9			s.t.
10			s.t.

General Classification after Stage 4

	Cyclist	Team	Time
1			18h 27' 42"
2			+ 6"
3			+ 10"
4			+ 12"
5			+ 18"
6			+ 26"
7			+ 26"
8			+ 26"
9			+ 30"
10			+ 31"

Stage 5

20 February 2011 – Lagoa to Portimão

Portimão

, 17.2 km (10.7 mi)

Stage 5 results

	Cyclist	Team	Time
1			20' 53"
2			+ 5"
3			+ 26"
4			+ 27"
5			+ 30"
6			+ 30"
7			+ 30"
8			+ 31"
9			+ 39"
10			+ 42"

Final Classification

	Cyclist	Team	Time
1			18h 48' 45"
2			+ 32"
3			+ 39"
4			+ 41"
5			+ 46"
6			+ 47"
7			+ 53"
8			+ 59"
9			+ 1' 04"
10			+ 1' 05"

Classification leadership

In the 2011 Volta ao Algarve, four different jerseys were awarded. For the general classification

General Classification

The general classification in bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage bicycle races...

, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage, and allowing time bonuses for the first three finishers on each stage and in intermediate sprints, the leader received a yellow jersey. This classification was considered the most important of the Volta ao Algarve, and the winner is considered the winner of the Volta.
Additionally, there was a sprints classification, which awarded a blue jersey. In the sprints classification, cyclists got points for finishing in the top three in an intermediate sprint. The first across the sprint points got 3 points, the second got 2, and the third got a single point.

There was also a mountains classification, which awarded a green jersey. In the mountains classification, points were won by reaching the top of a mountain before other cyclists. Each climb was categorized, with the more difficult climbs awarding more points.

The points classification

Points classification

The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning intermediate sprints. The points classification is the top prize for many cycling sprinters and therefore is often known as the Sprint Classification;...

awarded a white jersey. In the points classification, cyclists got points based on the order at the finish line of each stage. The stage win afforded 25 points, second on the stage was worth 20, third 16, fourth 13, fifth 10, sixth 8, seventh 6, eighth 4, ninth 2, and tenth was worth a single point. The points awarded in the sprints classification counted equivalently for this classification.

There was fifth classification to this race for the best Portuguese rider. However, no jersey was awarded, since the UCI limits the amount of rewarded jerseys to four per race.

The race also awarded a teams classification, which, too, was not represented by a jersey. The teams classification was calculated by adding the times of each team's best three riders per stage per day.

Stage	Winner	General Classification	Mountains Classification	Sprints Classification	Points Classification	Best Portuguese Rider Classification
1	Philippe Gilbert Philippe Gilbert Philippe Gilbert is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . Gilbert is a classics specialist...	Philippe Gilbert Philippe Gilbert Philippe Gilbert is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . Gilbert is a classics specialist...	Ricardo Mestre	César Fonte	Philippe Gilbert Philippe Gilbert Philippe Gilbert is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . Gilbert is a classics specialist...	Filipe Duarte Sousa Cardoso
2	John Degenkolb John Degenkolb John Degenkolb is a German professional road bicycle racer riding for the UCI ProTeam . In 2010 he won his first stage race, the Thüringen Rundfahrt and finished second in the under 23 race at the Road World Championship...			Thomas De Gendt Thomas De Gendt Thomas De Gendt is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer who rides for UCI ProTeam Vacansoleil-DCM. He previously rode for .-Palmares:20072008...		Filipe Duarte Sousa Cardoso
3	Steve Cummings Steve Cummings Stephen Philip Cummings is an English racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team .-Biography:Cummings won the team pursuit at the 2005 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Los Angeles and at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. He also took bronze in the individual pursuit...	Steve Cummings Steve Cummings Stephen Philip Cummings is an English racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team .-Biography:Cummings won the team pursuit at the 2005 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Los Angeles and at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. He also took bronze in the individual pursuit...			Tyler Farrar Tyler Farrar Tyler Farrar is an American professional road racing cyclist since 2003.-Cycling career:Farrar started racing at 13, and rode for in 2003, in 2004, and in 2006 and 2007. In April 2006 he crashed near the finish of the Circuit de la Sarthe and broke his collarbone and missed most of the season...	Tiago Machado Tiago Machado Tiago Machado is a Portuguese professional cyclist. He rides for the UCI ProTour team .-Notable Results:2008...
4	André Greipel Andre Greipel André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany...			César Fonte
5	Tony Martin Tony Martin (cyclist) Tony Martin is a German professional road bicycle racer riding for the UCI ProTeam . Martin is known as a time trial specialist: in 2011, he won a time trial stage in the Tour de France and in the Vuelta a España, and became world champion...	Tony Martin Tony Martin (cyclist) Tony Martin is a German professional road bicycle racer riding for the UCI ProTeam . Martin is known as a time trial specialist: in 2011, he won a time trial stage in the Tour de France and in the Vuelta a España, and became world champion...		César Fonte
Final		Tony Martin Tony Martin (cyclist) Tony Martin is a German professional road bicycle racer riding for the UCI ProTeam . Martin is known as a time trial specialist: in 2011, he won a time trial stage in the Tour de France and in the Vuelta a España, and became world champion...	Ricardo Mestre	César Fonte	Tyler Farrar Tyler Farrar Tyler Farrar is an American professional road racing cyclist since 2003.-Cycling career:Farrar started racing at 13, and rode for in 2003, in 2004, and in 2006 and 2007. In April 2006 he crashed near the finish of the Circuit de la Sarthe and broke his collarbone and missed most of the season...	Tiago Machado Tiago Machado Tiago Machado is a Portuguese professional cyclist. He rides for the UCI ProTour team .-Notable Results:2008...

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