2015 Volta ao Algarve
| Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Dates | February 18, 2015–February 22, 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 782.9 km (486.5 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning time | 19hr 46' 13" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Winner |
 Geraint Thomas (GBR)
|
(Team Sky) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second |
 Michał Kwiatkowski (POL)
|
(Etixx–Quick-Step) | |
| Third |
 Tiago Machado (POR)
|
(Team Katusha) | |
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Points |
Geraint Thomas (GBR)
|
(Team Sky) |
 |
Mountains |
 Richie Porte (AUS)
|
(Team Sky) |
 |
Youth |
 Davide Formolo (ITA)
|
(Cannondale–Garmin) |
| Team | Team Katusha | ||
The 2015 Volta ao Algarve was the 41st running of the Volta ao Algarve road cycling stage race. It was rated as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and took place from 18 to 22 February 2015 in the Algarve region of Portugal.
The race consisted of five stages, including one summit finish (at Alto do Malhão) and one Individual time trial. The defending champion was Michał Kwiatkowski of Etixx–Quick-Step, who won two stages of the 2014 Volta ao Algarve.
The 2015 race was won by Geraint Thomas of Team Sky. He took the lead with victory in a solo breakaway on stage 2, then defended his lead with third place in the time trial and fourth place on the summit finish. He ended the race 27 seconds ahead of Kwiatkowski, with Tiago Machado (Team Katusha) in third place. Thomas also won the points classification; his teammate Richie Porte won the summit finish and also the mountains classification.
In the other classifications, the young riders competition was won by Davide Formolo (Cannondale–Garmin), Machado won the Portuguese classification and Machado's team Katusha won the team's classification.
The first stage was a 166.7 km (104 mi) route from Lagos to Albufeira, across generally hilly terrain, though it was expected that the race would end in a bunch sprint.
The early break consisted of Mario González (ActiveJet), Joni Brandão (Efapel), João Benta (Louletano-Ray Just Energy) and Samuel Magalhães (Rádio Popular-Boavista), who earned a lead of almost eight minutes before they were brought back by Lotto–Soudal and Etixx–Quick-Step, seeking to set up their sprinters for the stage win. Brandão was able to gain bonus seconds at both intermediate sprints.
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