Why is Daniel Friebe paying such attention to a stage race in Portugal? Surely this Saturday's Vuelta a España is foremost on his agenda, not to mention the transfer season merry-go-round? Well, they probably are on his conscious, just like every other cycling journalist's I suspect.
But Friebe's Tweets of late have been insightful and enjoyable, if a little cryptic. You see, the Volta a Portugal is not just any other stage race. Sure, some might argue that Portugal's national tour warrants nary a mention. A fortnight slog by a host of unknowns in one of pro cycling's backwater, they may say. But others know better, far better in fact.
'It's the 4th Grand Tour,' quipped Tom Southam in reply to Friebe's recent Benfica/Porto musings. And rightly so. Sure, it might "only" be little over a fortnight in duration but consider the long stages in the heat of summer, the eclectic start-list and the fact that many of the foreigners who've plied their trade in Portugal liken it to the "Wild Wild West."
Ah, yes. Foreign riders in the Portuguese peloton. There have been (and are) some interesting names that have peppered the rosters of various Portuguese squads and start-lists over the years. From adventurous Brits and South Africans to the odd Australian, Swede or Dane, many have come and gone over the years. Some used Portugal as a springboard to more mainstream pro cycling teams, while others have made a career there. Former Worlds Time Trial silver medallist Michael Andersson rode half a season with Sicasal before being signed by Team Telekom in the mid-nineties. Another Scandanavian, Claus Moller, bounced between Portuguese and better known European squads over the years. More recently, Shaun-Nick Bester has found a home with Sporting Club Tavira, the young South African embracing life on the Algarve.
The Portuguese peloton is a cycling entity like no other. The local teams have their own structure, protocol and tactics, which gives credence those who have billed the Volta as one of the hardest races on earth. Many, if not all the pro teams there are part of a greater sporting club. Sporting Clube de Portugal/Tavira and W52/FC Porto are but two examples, the latter having mounted a demolition of this year's Volta with a "one-two" on GC and a half-dozen stage wins.
Speaking of the 2017 race, the starting list made for interesting reading prior to the Lisbon depart. While unfamiliar names and even less-known squads made up the field, one can't help but notice the presence of a few notables from World Tour teams in years past. While Sergio Paulinho, Stefan Schumacher and Rinaldo Nocentini are not getting any younger (late-thirties all), one has to wonder how much longer Davide Rebellin will carry on racing. At 46 years of age, the wily Italian puts the "ever" in the term evergreen. With pro career starting in 1992, Rebellin is old enough to be the father of many of his colleagues.
Why is Daniel Friebe paying such attention to a stage race in Portugal? Perhaps one should ask why more cycling scribes aren't paying attention.
I'm sure some team principals are.
