GENERATION VENTURE TO VOLTA A PORTUGAL FEMENINA

From Wednesday, July 2, to Sunday, July 6, CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto Generation will journey down the Portuguese coast from Porto to Lisbon, competing in the UCI 2.2 Volta a Portugal Femenina.

Forming the team for this five-day race, which could also be mistaken for a fantastic holiday road trip itinerary, are Wilma Aintila, Emily Dixon, Awen Roberts, Jule Märkl, and Diane Ingabire.

Wilma joins the Generation squad from the WorldTeam, steadily building momentum from racing the past three weekends in a row. Earlier in the season, a hand fracture sidelined her during the spring classics – her favourite part of the calendar – while illness kept her from races like Festival Elsy Jacobs. But now, with summer racing in full swing, the trajectory is finally trending upward.

“It’s been quite a tricky start to the season, with less races than I would have liked due to injury and sickness. Of course, it has taken mentally a big toll – it’s not easy when you really want to be on top and racing, and you feel that your shape is good enough. But then, you have interruptions. It’s mentally tricky to accept everything and try to move on, especially because there have been quite a lot of things that have stopped me in my way. But finally, both physically and mentally, I’m having a period that’s going smooth, so I’m really happy, and the fitness feels nice. I’ve done some really good training, week after week, so I’m really ready for Portugal. It’s also always cool to race with the Generation riders – they are so enthusiastic and freshly motivated to race.  It’s really nice to be around them because you can really feel the spirit. I hope it’s going to be a great week.”

Wilma isn’t setting any clear-cut ambitions for the five days of racing.

“Of course, I really want to have fun in these stages and get everything out on course. Hopefully with that, then we get a get a nice result with the team. I don’t have a specific goal, I really just want to be happy on the bike, to have a clean race and to suffer a lot – that will be my big target and aim for Portugal.”

Like Wilma, Awen was sidelined from mid-February and since rejoining the peloton in May, she’s been steadily fine-tuning her racing form. After riding in support of Zoe Bäckstedt at the British National Championships road race last weekend, she’s now pleased to be making the trip back to mainland Europe.

“I’m really looking forward to the race – especially as I’ve never raced on the road in Portugal before. I’m always excited to compete somewhere new. The stages look tough, so I’m keen and ready to work out how best to ride them tactically and get over the testing climbs.”

“I think the biggest challenge will be the heat, so keeping ourselves cool throughout will be crucial – especially over five days. I’m also excited that it’s a five-stage race. I haven’t done one this year, so it’ll be great to do a longer tour.”

After three editions as a national-level race since 2021, Volta a Portugal Femenina finally gained UCI classification last year and has quietly grown in stature. Many smaller teams welcome the chance to race a quality event in a country less familiar on the cycling calendar, enjoying a fresh challenge beyond the usual hosts. This year, 20 teams are attending, extrapolating out to a maximum field of 140 riders.

Stage one features a lightly undulating profile, with flat opening and closing 10-20 kilometres framing a moderately rolling middle section. Covering 112km northwards from Porto to Esposende, riders face just under 1100 metres of elevation gain.

Stage two shifts the direction southward and reverses stage one’s course composition – most of the 750m climbing is concentrated at either the end, but largely in the final 20km. While it may appear the easiest day on paper, a gentle 1km climb with 6km to go could be enough to shake up a bunch sprint into Águeda – one of Portugal’s most colourful destinations, famed for its vibrant umbrella installations.

Stage three, the traditional ‘tour hump day,’ kicks off with a relaxed rollout from the eye-catching city of Aveiro. Known for its vivid splashes of colour across buildings and boats, Aveiro sets the tone before the stage builds towards more steady climbing over the final 10km.

These opening three stages are designed to settle nerves and soften the peloton before the truly decisive, overall defining action arrives in the final two stages – as Lisbon draws near on the horizon. That said, with more opportunistic and unpredictable racing typically seen at a lower UCI level, a breakaway victory may already have tilted the playing field heading into the final two stages. Stage three is the longest, after all.

The 103km stage four from Coruche again starts off very flat, but the final 30km is loaded with two major climbs, one of 4km at 5.4% followed by over 10km of gradual descending, before the road ramps up again for a similar distance and gradient. The catch: the second ascent features steeper pinches in excess of 12%. It’s again, 10km of gradual descending, but this time towards the line. This is the stage where the gradients are finally definitive enough to start drawing the outlines of the GC.

Stage five starts from the harbourside Marvila area in downtown Lisbon, finishing 96km later atop a steady 1km rise averaging 5.3%. Along the way, the route meanders through the lumpy landscape of the Lisbon Peninsula, including a mild 10km climb. The toughest test arrives with 22km to go – a brutal 1.3km ramp at 9.5%, gradients getting into the double-digits. From the summit, it’s a sharp descent, followed by open, straight roads that may allow for a regrouping before the final uphill drag. It’s not a stage that screams major splits or time gaps – but a day of bad legs could spell disaster. Conversely, good ones might tempt a rider to take a chance and spoil the GC party.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Stage 1 | Wednedsay, July 2 | Porto – Esposende | 106.6km | 1095m elevation | Start: 12:30 – Fastest finish: 15:25 WEST.

Stage 2 | Thursday, July 3 | Canela (Gaia) – Águeda | 94.9km | 750m elevation | Start: 12:30 – Fastest finish: 15:10 WEST.

Stage 3 | Friday, July 4 | Aveiro – Pombal | 128.5km | 1202m elevation | Start: TBC – Fastest finish: TBC WEST.

Stage 4 | Saturday, July 5 | Coruche – Loures | 103.4km | 986m elevation | Start: TBC – Fastest finish: TBC WEST.

Stage 5 | Sunday, July 6 | Marvila (Lisboa) – Póvoa de Santa Iria | 89km | 1185m elevation | Start: TBC – Fastest finish: TBC WEST.

While there won’t be full live coverage, daily summaries will be available on SportTV and RTP2. Stay updated on X via #VoltaPortugalFemenina, and follow CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto’s social channels for the latest team updates.