The rescue is fast approaching. From behind. It whistles briefly, then the pursuer is past. The cyclist's bite reflex follows. A few painful pedal strokes further on and I've been sucked into the slipstream of the man who is actually too fast - but what choice do you have between riding slowly solo or faster in pairs thanks to the man in front? A quick "Oi", the Portuguese hello, and the new pacemaker introduces himself as Thiago from Porto. There has to be that much time - even in the context of an everyman race like the Granfondo Algarve. Then my new companion pulls something out of his jersey pocket that has the same effect on a cyclist as a carrot has on a rabbit: the sight of short-chain, fast-acting sugar. As soon as my mouth watered at the sight, my slipstream donor handed me half of his Snickers bar. Rescue in an emergency. Great fair play. I have 100 kilometres and around 2000 metres of altitude in my legs, which feel very, very heavy right now - and my blood sugar level is also dragging me down. It's still around 30 kilometres to the finish of the Granfondo - and the highest difficulty is still on the way. Every bit of new energy is very welcome.
I ask Thiago what drew him so far south from the harbour city in the north. "For me, the Algarve is one of the most beautiful places in the world," says the Brazilian, whose adopted home is in the north of Portugal. "I wanted to take my wife with me and do my first Granfondo in Portugal here. We decided to do it because we are both keen cycling fans and can also watch the Algarve Tour of the Pros here," he explains. The south coast of Portugal and its hinterland are a favoured cycling region - especially in spring. Statistics show 3000 hours of sunshine per year for this region at the south-west tip of Europe; nowhere else on the continent is it better. Not even in the rest of Portugal. "We don't have such good weather in Porto now - it rains a lot more," says Thiago on this sunny day at the end of February - the Brazilian has been getting into shape mainly on a Smarttrainer and the internet platform Mywhoosh.
Up close to the professionals
The locals are well aware of the advantages of the Algarve, especially for cyclists - particularly the local cycling association. Which is why the decision was made a few years ago not only to invite professional cyclists to the Tour of the Algarve at the end of February, but also to attract amateur cyclists to the region for an event for everyone on the fringes of the stage race. The route of the Granfondo Algarve 2025 covers part of the 4th stage of the professional race. The long distance measures 130 kilometres and 2200 metres in altitude. For less experienced riders, there is a loop with around 90 kilometres and almost 1400 metres of elevation gain. "We change the route every year," says Ricardo Rodrigues, President of the regional cycling association ACA, whose company Bikesul conveniently earns money by renting bikes for participants who have travelled a long way. "We always have two routes, something for everyone. We want to show our hinterland and the routes there with little traffic and the typical small villages," emphasises Rodrigues. It should be beautiful, but also tough. "It has to be a challenge. If you've done a flat race, you won't remember it. It has to be tough," he says - a painful memory as a promotional measure.
To the sun!
The cycling association of the Algarve region called for the start of the season, and almost a thousand cyclists came to the Granfondo in Faro. Local mountain bike pro Filipe Francisco, Brazilian Thiago from Porto, Christiane, a university lecturer from Magdeburg who urgently needed a break from the lecture theatre and exams during the semester break, and Peter Leissl, the retired long-time Tour de France commentator for ZDF. They were all tempted by the prospect of a few kilometres of cycling in the warmth and so they lined up at the start early in the morning. Short, short - in February. Driven by more or less great ambition.
From the district capital Faro, where the tourists land at the airport, it's a sporty start. The first ramp is soon in the way. "Are you Rui Costa?" calls one participant to another who is flying past him. "I'm João Almeida," he replies and is already gone. Thoughts of Rui Costa, the 2013 Portuguese road world champion, and Almeida, currently Portugal's strongest professional cyclist, euphorise the local cyclists. But don't let yourself get carried away - without giving a mature thought to your own poor winter preparation and the fact that more than half of the peloton will soon branch off onto the short course and you will suddenly find yourself pretty much alone on the long course, battling through the hilly expanses of eucalyptus forests. The only reward for your solitary efforts: breathtaking views from the Serra mountain ranges over the Barrocal hills to the coastline as you finally approach the finish line. But that takes time. The route planners steer the participants on an equally strenuous and exhilarating rollercoaster ride along the slopes of the Serra. Up and down again and again - as if you didn't have enough altitude metres in your legs. And so it goes on, step by step. Until Thiago arrives.
A sorrow shared is a sorrow halved. Later, Thiago says about the course: "It was incredible, especially the last part after the section split, when you're practically travelling alone and thinking about the race and your whole life."
Then all I can see is the back of his jersey. As soon as Thiago has pressed his chocolate bar into my hand, he's already running away. The Cerro de São Miguel mountain towers up in front of us like a wall. Our guides had already pointed to the radio mast on the summit during the previous days' training laps to warn us of the extreme difficulty of the Granfondo finale. "It's a well-known climb, many people train here, including the pros. You can see the entire Algarve from the top," says Filipe Francisco, who we meet the day after the race in the well-known cycling café Germano in the mountain village of Alte. The mountain bike pro won the long distance - thanks to strong wattage, but also thanks to his knowledge of the route. Those who know exactly when and where to use their strength on this terrain - on the rough tarmac, which is difficult to ride on, and on the steep ramps, which only professionals in good form can conquer. Everyone else has to push themselves uphill with their last ounce of strength. The little road up Sao Miguel is something like an extended mixture of Mur de Huy, Oude Kwaremont, Côte de la Redoute and Paterberg, the key sections of the spring classics in Belgium. The asphalt crumbles, the gradient averages nine per cent over two and a half kilometres. You can hardly afford the magnificent views of the vast waters of the Atlantic and the coastline just a few kilometres away - the tip of your nose presses on the stem, your eyes search for the riding line with the best traction on the bumpy surface.
While the amateur cyclists arrive at the finish in Faro rather scattered from the trip into the hinterland and struggle up the uphill finishing straight, they later see a bunch sprint among the pros, in which the Belgian Cofidis pro Milan Fretin defeats his compatriot Jordi Meeus (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe). Emanuel Buchmann, Maximilian Schachmann, John Degenkolb, Wout van Aert, Primož Roglič and Filippo Ganna also gained race honours on the five stages, while two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard won the overall classification the following day ahead of Portugal's currently best professional cyclist João Almeida. The routes? "It's always left, right, up, down. After every bend you have these small starts, small climbs, it never really rolls in the race. It's Classics racing in the south, so to speak," is how Schachmann, who made his debut in the Algarve in the Team Soudal Quick-Step jersey, describes it. "It's a race with guaranteed good weather and offers a good mix including beautiful scenery. Everyone enjoys riding here," added Schachmann, who finished his season opener at the Tour of the Algarve in fifth place. What sounds perfect for the pros should now attract more and more amateur cyclists to the Algarve. The number of participants in the Granfondo could be doubled, estimates association boss Rodrigues, who is also a businessman. In the Algarve, they firmly believe in the power of the sun to attract cyclists - especially early in the year, when it is often still dark and cold elsewhere in Europe.
Information about Granfondo and the Algarve coast
Granfondo Algarve
The amateur race, most recently with two different distances, takes place every year as part of the professional race programme of the Tour of the Algarve at different venues. When we took part in 2025, the routes were not completely closed - so caution is advised. According to the organisers, the venue and route for 2026 were not yet known at the time of going to press.
Next date: 21 or 22 February 2026
Travelling time
February is ideal for cycling in the south of Portugal. Temperatures are mild to warm - usually around 15 to 20 degrees during the day. Rainy days are rare. The Algarve is generally considered to be one of the sunniest regions in Europe - according to statistics, it gets up to 3,000 hours of sunshine per year. Only the summer months are unsuitable: It gets very hot and there is a lot of traffic on the roads in the tourist region during the peak holiday season.
Journey
Due to the distance, travelling by plane from Germany is recommended. The international airport in Faro is served by direct flights from Germany, including Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Hanover, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Memmingen.
On-site travel service/bike hire
We were there with the organiser Bikesul, which offers a multi-day cycle tour around the Granfondo and professional race with a hotel, bike hire, guided tours, a visit to the professional race and participation in the Granfondo.
Cycle routes
The area on the Atlantic coast is varied. If you want to, you can gain plenty of metres in altitude. The quality of the tarmac varies - you should find out in advance whether the planned route is really tarmac throughout. The gradients are sometimes steep - a proper hill climb is recommended, especially in the hinterland.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
