Rui Oliveira Wins Volta a Portugal Stage in Porto — and Dedicates It to a Lost Teammate's Family
Rui Oliveira sprinted to victory on the final stage of the Volta a Portugal, winning on a cobbled climb in his home city of Porto — and dedicated the win to the family of Finlay Tarling, the 19-year-old British rider who died after an accident during stage eight.
Oliveira, 29, rides for UAE Team Emirates. He was born and raised in Porto and grew up following the Volta a Portugal with his family. This was his first appearance in the race. He had said beforehand that winning a stage would fulfil a dream. The final stage ran from Maia to Porto, finishing on the Avenida dos Aliados after a closing circuit through Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.
The win was described as the biggest road victory of his career. Oliveira is best known on the track: he is the reigning Olympic Madison champion (the Madison being a relay-style points race for teams of two). His road palmarès — the list of a rider's career wins — has lagged behind that pedigree. Taking a stage of Portugal's national tour, on home cobblestones, changed that.
The final two stages went ahead only with the blessing of Tarling's family. Tarling's team, NSN Development, withdrew from the race. Many riders at the final stage wore black armbands in tribute.
After crossing the line, Oliveira had a Porto football shirt draped across his shoulders.
Alexis Guerin, the race leader — the rider at the top of the GC, or general classification, which tracks overall time — was not challenged on the final day and secured the overall victory. Oliveira had worn the race leader's jersey himself early in the tour, after finishing fourth on stage one, but the overall contest had since moved on.
What gives this stage its weight is the collision of a homecoming story with a grief the peloton — the main pack of riders — was still processing. Oliveira had dreamed of winning here since childhood. He got his stage, on cobbles he grew up riding, and the first thing he did with it was hand it to someone else's loss.
