Victor Campenaerts placed fifth in the first stage of the Volta ao Algarve after Team LottoNL-Jumbo sprinter Dylan Groenewegen lost his chances due to a crash. Marcel Kittel (Etixx - Quick Step) won the opening stage.

The first stage to Albufeira is a classic one in the Portuguese stage race so Team LottoNL-Jumbo knew that they would have a chance at sprinting. “We were working for Dylan Groenewegen,” sports director Merijn Zeeman said after the race. “We delivered well in the final and put him in good position. Unfortunately, on the last roundabout of the day, a Etixx - Quick Step rider crashed and Tom Leezer and Dylan were just behind him. Fortunately, they didn’t crash, but because of the move they had to make, Dylan’s chance of sprinting was gone.”

“We planned to come through the last turn as much in front as possible,” Groenewegen added. “Tom and I were in sixth and seventh place, so it actually couldn’t be better. At that point, the rider in front of us slipped away, which made us lose our positions. I was feeling great so I’m quite fed up that I didn’t get a chance to sprint for the victory.”

When Groenewegen’s chances disappeared, Victor Campenaerts finished off the work. The chaos on through the roundabout left him in good position for the sprint. “That’s a small reward,” Zeeman added. “The sprint lead out was pretty good today, in my opinion, so it’s a pity that we weren’t able to finish it off. The team went all the way for it. Even Sep Vanmarcke and Robert Gesink were eager to do an effort for the sprint lead-out and I like to see that.”

On Thursday, the riders will face a tough mountain stage in the Volta ao Algarve. “We’re not here to focus on the general classification,” Zeeman made clear. “Because of the Olympic Games, Robert is only at the beginning of his build up. The same for Primoz. It’s hard to predict their level at the moment. Tomorrow, we will see how good they are.”