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Stage 6 - Flat and fast

Louize Hill/Agnelo Quelhas / 06.06.2008

The sixth stage from Monsaraz to Albernoa crosses the rolling plains of the Alentejo. This is not only the flattest stage of the race, but one of the stages with the most asphalt. In 2001 the Alqueva dam was inaugurated, creating one of the biggest reservoirs in Europe, changing this area from an arid landscape to a landscape that is dominated by the blue of the water. Not only did the reservoir change the landscape, it also changed the course of the Travessia tour, and consequently also the race. All the trails we used to ride are now under water, and the only bridges over the wide and deep arms of the dam are on asphalt. A considerable proportion of this stage is ridden on minor roads with no traffic.

The whole stage is flat and no single climb exceeds 100m in altitude. However, it should be remembered that Portuguese flat is not the same thing as Dutch or Belgian flat, and the terrain is constantly undulating, up and down!

This type of terrain is again where riding in a group makes sense. Today Pepe decided he was going to remind everyone what he is capable of, so with Domie\'s help he set off fast and strong, for the first 50 km they rode an average speed of about 35 km/h. At one point they passed the group Paul West was riding in. Paul and the others decided to “jump aboard�. Paul and the “intruders� managed to hang on until Pepe decided to attack and disappeared. Paul said “it was like being spat out the back of a machine�. Pepe and Domie\'s work paid off. First time he met Antonio at a control post they had a 10 min lead on the chasing pack, the next time Pepe saw Antonio he had a 12 min advance. Clearly the “pursuants� also knew how much space separated them from the Belgian. And by the time they crossed the finishing line there were only 7 min between them.

Pepe came in in 1st place today, arriving at 14:53. He also broke today\'s stage record. He was followed by the Portuguese pack João Marinho, José Silva, Ricardo Melo and Renato Hernandez 7 minutes later. The next group in was Luis Gomes, Dominiek Sacre and Jos Engelen at 15:11.

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