Swiss cyclist Colin Stüssi (Vorarlberg) has taken the lead in the Volta a Portugal 2023 after winning the 7th stage in a grueling 162 km journey between the towns of Torre de Moncorvo and Montalegre, culminating in a summit finish atop Serra do Larouco.
In the final ascent of the first-category mountain in Montalegre (11 km at 5.1% with ramps up to 13.3%), Colin Stüssi outpaced the Spanish rider Luis Ángel Maté (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Portuguese rider Antonio Carvalho (ABTF – Betão-Feirense), who finished second and third, respectively.
Russian cyclist Artem Nych (Glassdrive Q8 Anicolor), who wore the yellow leader’s jersey after finishing second in the sixth stage, struggled to keep up with the main group on the slopes of Serra do Larouco. The leadership shifted to Stüssi, and Nych now stands in second place with a 28-second gap. Luis Ángel Maté holds the third position, trailing by 34 seconds.
The Volta a Portugal 2023 continues this Friday with the eighth stage, covering 146.7 km, connecting the towns of Boticas and Fafe. Two third-category mountains and one fourth-category climb will be responsible for toughening up the route of the penultimate stage of the Portuguese competition.
Results of Stage 7 of Volta a Portugal 2023:
Overall Classification of Volta a Portugal 2023, after Stage 7:
