The 85th Tour of Portugal will take place between July 24 and August 4, “the best possible date” in the year of the Olympic Games, the president of the Portuguese Cycling Federation (FPC) acknowledged to Lusa.
“We had to propose two dates, it was this week and the other [de 31 de julho], but it has a lot to do with the sporting context, with the Olympic Games. We had to anticipate. And also with the arrival of the Vuelta a España, which also arrives a week earlier in Portugal. All these small factors lead us to reach this date,” explained Delmino Pereira.
With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games scheduled between July 26 and August 11 and the Vuelta a España starting on August 17, with three stages in Portuguese territory, “it was agreed with the organization” of the Vuelta a Portugal to present dates starting July 24. to August 4 as the first option, the second being from July 31 to August 11, revealed the president of the FPC.
“It is the best possible date, in terms of managing all the interests that are being evaluated. There is no ideal date, this is the possible date,” he defended.
For Delmino Pereira, the year of the Olympic Games inevitably represents “an added problem” when it comes to defining the dates of the national cycling competition, which has even been subjected to “more pressure with the anticipation of the football championships.” .
“When we have the Olympic Games, the situation is complicated, especially when they are in Europe, because they coincide with the schedules of the big events. Coinciding the participation of the Portuguese in any sport with the Tour of Portugal, with moments in the At the same time , it is something that is not desirable,” he noted.
However, the head of the FPC believes that moving the race forward a week will in no way affect the preparation of the national teams for what is the main objective of the season.
“I think that the Portuguese teams adapt well to these small differences. Eight days ahead, eight days behind. The important thing is that the Tour continues to grow in the sporting quality of the teams present and that it maintains this path of progressive international prestige and “That our teams are also prepared to give a good response, because that is what the Portuguese want and desire,” he concluded.
In addition to the Volta a Portugal, the International Cycling Union has also confirmed the dates of other international races held in Portuguese territory: the Clássica Figueira Champions opens the calendar, on February 10, with the Volta ao Algarve, also in the ProSeries category, starting four days later and ending on February 18.
It is followed by the Clássica da Arrábida (March 17), the Volta ao Alentejo (March 20 to 24), the Beiras and Serra da Estrela International Grand Prix (May 2 to 5), before the Joaquim Agostinho Trophy (11 to 14 of July). ), last preparation test for the candidates for victory in the Vuelta a Portugal.
Source: TSF
