As expected, despite some skirmishes on the penultimate ascent, stage 2 came down to the final kilometer, where Evenepoel launched a perfectly timed and perfectly executed attack at 500 meters to go, a fantastic acceleration which saw him zip clear of the reduced bunch that up until that point had been kept together by Almeida. The Portuguese’s superb effort was instrumental, the fierce tempo he laid down preventing attacks and allowing Remco to dose his effort carefully on the 7.5km climb before emerging from the group at a speed that would have made the famous Road Runner envious.

In an instant, a gap opened and the 20-year-old Belgian put his climbing prowess on display, with the finish line getting closer and closer as he stomped on the pedals. Not even a late acceleration of Maximilian Schachmann (Bora-hansgrohe) or the strong headwind in the closing 100 meters could stop Remco, who pumped the air as he became one of the youngest ever stage winners in the history of the Volta ao Algarve.

“What I feel right now? A lot of emotion and happiness, I can tell you that. It’s the perfect way to conclude the race, as I really wanted to wrap up the general classification as a way to say a big thank you to the entire team. They worked a lot for me, were so strong, did a perfect job and showed that incredible all for one, one for all Wolfpack mentality that has become a defining trait of our squad. I am happy I won this beautiful event, a result which only adds to my confidence ahead of the next goals”