In just two days, TransPortugal Garmin Race passed from just under 10ºC (50ºF) to almost 30ºC (86ºF), from pouring rain to blue open skies, from mountain to hill.  t may not seem much - it’s going to get way warmer further south - but it’s enough to make for completely different riding. And to keep us all from monotony.

 

Starting with the bad news, Marco Macedo (POR) had a particularly tough stage today, riding with an injured elbow and with a bad rear wheel for practically 100km, after a bad fall, riding fast. A fall in which riders Rui Anjos (POR), Stuart Rawlinson (RSA) and Christophe De Clercq (BEL) were also involved, although not has badly. Marco was the 27th to arrive at the finish line, coming from a 46th position at the second control point (CP).

 

Paul-Hervé Theunissen (BEL) also had a complicated fall, between the second and third CP, happily with no serious consequences.

 

Rui Anjos (POR), on yet another strong and regular stage, although finishing the stage in 3rd behind Kate Aardal (NOR), kept his second position overall. The battle between these two will definitely be interesting to watch as TransPortugal Garmin Race continues to relatively flatter terrain.

 

Vitor Gamito (POR) suffered a broken chain, early on the stage, between CPs one and two. At the second CP (km 51) he was 20 min behind the first racer, but at the bridge over the river Tagus (km 105) he was already riding alone in first place, some 5 min ahead.

 

Henry Hayes (RSA), passing the fourth CP in second place and with only 15 km to go, finished the stage in 5th due to a flat tire.

 

Not only due to Marco’s delay and the absence of previous top 10’ers, but especially for a great performance today, we saw some new faces at today’s first 10 athletes to arrive at the finish line, like Steven Williams (USA), Janine King (RSA) and Stuart Rawlings (RSA), all attaining their best stage position so far. Probably also the fast rolling sections of today’s stage, as opposed to the previous ones, are bringing up new racers to the front positions.

 

All racers who started the stage, except for Havard Lior (NOR) (he had a problem with the bike) were able to finish the stage, always good news.

 

5th STAGE TOP 10: 

 

1 - Vitor Gamito (POR) 

2 - Kate Aardal (NOR) 

3 - Rui Anjos (POR) 

4 - Christophe De Clercq (BEL) 

5 - Henry Hayes (RSA) 

6 - Steven Williams (USA) 

7 - Gonçalo Correia (POR) 

8 - Stuart Rawlinson (RSA) 

9 - Nuno Campos (POR) 

10 - Janine King (RSA)

 

FINAL TOP 3 AFTER 5th STAGE: 

 

1 - Vitor Gamito (POR), 27h06m51s

2 - Rui Anjos (POR), 2h16m55s dif. 

3 - Kate Aardal (NOR), 2h18m59s dif.

 

DAY 6 – CASTELO DE VIDE TO MONSARAZ

 

Tomorrow, TransPortugal Garmin Race is definitely on Alentejo. Like Tiago Fonseca pointed out at the briefing, we may call it flat, but it’s not Dutch flat. You just have to look at the total climb of the stage: 3280m. It does move up and down, in a somewhat tiresome cadence, being nevertheless fast and rolling.

 

Stage 6 is the marathon stage of TransPortugal Garmin Race, with 165km of total route, featuring 5 CPs and a best ever riding time of 06h25m.

 

It starts on an historic village atop of a crest and ends exactly on another. Monsaraz, with its white washed houses and views is arguably one of the most beautiful villages of Portugal (how many times have we written something like this so far…?) Anyway, it’s absolutely mandatory to gaze from its high verandas into the vast expanses of Alentejo and the Alqueva dam at sunset.

 

OF WINE AND RACES

 

This is also wine country. After the Douro region, Alentejo is probably one of the best know and most popular Portuguese wine regions.  

 

We have noticed how this subject interests many of the racers, so here’s how it goes: the Alentejo DOC white wines are generally smooth, slightly acid and with tropical fruits aromas. Reds are bodied, rich in tannins and with aromas of forest red fruits.

 

We can even give you a couple of suggestions, right in the path of the TransGarmin Race. Not that we think you should try it exactly while you race, better to leave that juts for dinner. For example the Adega Mayor, of Campo Maior, or the Aldeias de Juromenha, of Elvas.

 

Maybe our South African counterparts, winemakers since Jan van Riebeeck, the first governor of the Cape, planted a vineyard there in 1655, would like to exchange grape secrets with us, and come up with a new unique crossing. Let’s give it some thought.