Gabriel Varela, from Cantanhede Cycling/VESAM, won the 26th Grande Prémio Alves Barbosa, which took place between September 11 and 13 and ended in Montemor-o-Velho. The current national road fondo champion completed the race in 4:21:50, with a 43-second advantage over Renato Sousa, from Landeiro | Matinados | Matias&Araujo, and 1:04 minutes over Francisco Trovão, from Caldas Ecoprint/E.Leclerc. Cantanhede Cycling/VESAM also won the overall team classification.
The competition started on Friday with a 9.6-kilometre team time trial in Montemor-o-Velho, won by Alenquer G.D.M. Anipura. On Saturday, Gabriel Varela won the stage between Montemor-o-Velho and Águeda, taking the lead which he held until the end. Before the start of that stage, the peloton paid tribute at the roundabout dedicated to Alves Barbosa.
In the final stage, Filipe Granjinho, from Paredes/Reconco, was the fastest between Coimbra and Montemor-o-Velho, completing the 81.5 kilometres in 2:00:50 hours. José Gomes, from Landeiro | Matinados | Matias&Araujo, finished five seconds behind the winner, while Martim Quitério was third at 38 seconds.
The Grande Prémio was promoted by the Municipality of Montemor-o-Velho, in collaboration with the Portuguese Cycling Federation and the Beira Litoral Cycling Association. The race passed through all the parishes of the municipality and brought together more than a hundred athletes from 16 teams from Portugal and Spain. The Mayor, José Veríssimo, highlighted the municipal investment in training young cyclists and discovering new talents. Alves Barbosa, a native of the municipality, won the Volta a Portugal three times, the first in 1951, and achieved 10th place in the Tour de France in 1956.
