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Milan Fretin won the Albufeira / Faro stage, the fourth and penultimate stage of the Volta ao Algarve. In a slightly uphill sprint, the 23-year-old Belgian from Cofidis claimed his second seasonal victory, beating his compatriot Jordi Meeus (Red Bull - BORA – hansgrohe) and Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers), who made a great final progression that allowed him to reach the podium. Buratti also finished in the top 10.
THE STAGE - Four brave riders were in the breakaway: Belgian Warre Vangheluwe (Soudal Quick-Step), Swiss Johan Jacobs (Groupama – FDJ), Iberian Gorka Sorarrain (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) and Argentine Nicolás Tivani (Aviludo - Louletano – Loulé), the mountain classification leader.
This quartet broke away from the peloton at the fifth kilometer, reaching a maximum advantage of over 6 minutes. Tivani was first over the Malhão mountain point and also at the top of Picota, the second difficulty of the day, located 50 kilometers from the finish. In Loulé, where the organization placed the day's Intermediate Sprint, Johan Jacobs anticipated Sorarrain and Vangheluwe, with Tivani fourth wheel and the peloton reported at 2'40".
On the Santa Barbara climb (2 km at 5%), Johan Jacobs set the pace, taking the first position at the third-category mountain point, while the chasing peloton - led by Visma Lease a Bike of Wout van Aert and Vingegaard - with a significant forcing selected the group and quickly reduced the gap.
17 kilometers from the finish, approaching the day's final mountain point, with a great progression Vingegaard and Benoot brought the peloton back together.
In the last two kilometers, the men of EF Cofidis and Lotto worked hard.