Lidl-Trek’s Multi-Million Dollar Signing Delivers in the Algarve

A Portuguese “race of truth” delivered some crucial lessons to a bunch of grand tour hopefuls on Friday at the Volta ao Algarve.

In a field full of riders hoping to either podium the Tour de France or win the Giro d’Italia, Friday’s 19.5km stage 3 time trial was a ruthless early test of winter training and aero testing.

Juan Ayuso uncorked the TT of his life to finish second behind only premium rouleur Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) in what’s a sure sign Lidl-Trek did something right this winter with its ~€25 million signing.

The young Spaniard was just 5 seconds back of the two-time TT world champion in what’s a major mojo boost for his ride toward a showdown with Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, and Remco Evenepoel at the Tour de France.

And one day after Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) stunned the world with his first pro win on the Alta da Fóia, the French sensation bettered all his GC rivals except Ayuso by finishing fourth on the stage.

This kid’s gotta go to the Tour this summer, surely?

After being tied on time at the start of the stage, Ayuso is now seven seconds ahead of Seixas ahead of a hilly fourth stage of the Volta ao Algarve on Saturday.

Almeida, Lipowitz, Onley off the pace

Elsewhere, it was mixed fortunes for Ineos Grenadiers’ GC triple threat. Thymen Arensman finished fifth, while Tour de France co-leaders Kevin Vauquelin and Oscar Onley were sixth and a somewhat disappointing 24th, respectively.

João Almeida (UAE Emirates XRG) and Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) might also have been hoping for more.

They both finished more than 30 seconds back on second-place Ayuso, a rider whose palmarès and potential are considered similar to their own.

And U.S. stars Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Brandon McNulty (UAE Emirates XRG)?

The 55kg pure climber Riccitello did well to limit his losses to 1:17, while McNulty’s race was over early after he lost time to a bike change.

And of course, there was no surprise who won the dead-flat 19.5km TT.

Towering Italian “Top Ganna” blitzed a 53.5kph time trial that was some way short of the 56kph record set by Remco Evenepoel in the UAE earlier this week, but was good enough to hint he’ll be good to swing for the fences next month in Milan-San Remo.