The first 50 km do nothing to disguise the route’s difficulty, with climbs at Barranco do Velho and the heights of Serra do Caldeirão. Dominated by the feeling of being able to touch the sky, you reach the highest point of Sotavento, 584 metres above sea level, where views over the Algarve hinterlands encourage us to victory over an up-and-down route, festooned with verdant landscapes such as those around Quinta do Freixo. At Benafim you enter the flattest section of the stage, before Alte, Portela de Messines and Paderne, but the following section forces you to take on more ascents and descents, as far as Boliqueime. You should pay plenty of attention to traffic when returning to Quarteira.
The first 50 km do nothing to disguise the route’s difficulty, with climbs at Barranco do Velho and the heights of Serra do Caldeirão. Dominated by the feeling of being able to touch the sky, you reach the highest point of Sotavento, 584 metres above sea level, where views over the Algarve hinterlands encourage us to victory over an up-and-down route, festooned with verdant landscapes such as those around Quinta do Freixo. At Benafim you enter the flattest section of the stage, before Alte, Portela de Messines and Paderne, but the following section forces you to take on more ascents and descents, as far as Boliqueime. You should pay plenty of attention to traffic when returning to Quarteira.
