Volta ao Algarve guide

Mark Cavendish, Alberto Contador and world champion Rui Costa are among the big names who will battle for honours at the five-day Volta ao Algarve this week (February 19-23).

Stage 3: Friday, February 21 - Vila do Bispo to Sagres - 13.6km individual time trial | Report Result 1 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, 14:03
2 Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar, +11secs
3 Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, +13
4 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo, +20
5 Alex Dowsett (GB) Movistar, +25
6 Jan Barta (Cze) NetApp-Endura, +28
7 Rick Flens (Ned) Belkin, +29
8 Thomas de Gednt (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, +30
9 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin, same time
10 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ, +33
Selected other
22 Mark Cavendish (GB) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, +44 General classification 1 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, 9:03:36
2 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo, +32secs
3 Rui Costa (Por) Movistar, +38
4 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ, +1:00
5 Sergei Chernetskiy (Rus) Katusha, +1:03
6 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin, +1:08
7 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, +1:20
8 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha, +1:23
9 Chris Horner (USA) Lampre-Merida, +1:24
10 Eduard Prades (Spa) OFM-Quinta da Lixa, +1:25 Stage 4: Saturday, February 22 - Almodovar to Alto do Malhao - 164.5km | Report Result 1 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo, 4:02:08
2 Rui Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida, +3secs
3 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, +10
4 Eduard Prades (Spa) OFM-Quinta da Lixa, +13
5 Tiago Machado (Por) NetApp-Endura, +14
6 Chris Horner (USA) Lampre-Merida, same time
7 Edgar Pinto (Por) LA Aluminios-Antarte, +16
8 Pello Bilbao (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, st
9 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ, st
10 Sergey Firsanov (Rus) RusVelo, +17 General classification 1 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, 13:05:50
2 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo, +16secs
3 Rui Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida, +29
4 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ, +1:10
5 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin, +1:29
6 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, +1:30
7 Chris Horner (USA) Lampre-Merida, +1:31
8 Eduard Prades (Spa) OFM-Quinta da Lixa, +1:32
9 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha, +1:38
10 Edgar Pinto (Por) LA Aluminios-Antarte, +1:41 Stage 5: Sunday, February 23 - Tavira to Vilamoura - 155.8km | Report Result 1 Mark Cavendish (GB) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, 3:24:10
2 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ, same time
3 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Europcar, st
4 Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spa) Movistar, st
5 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre-Merida, st
6 Alexey Tsatevich (Rus) Katusha, st
7 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Wanty-Groupe Gobert, st
8 Igor Boev (Rus) RusVelo, st
9 Tom Leezer (Ned) Belkin, st
10 Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ, st Final general classification 1 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, 16:29:57
2 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo, +19secs
3 Rui Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida, +32
4 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ, +1:13
5 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin, +1:32
6 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, +1:33
7 Eduard Prades (Spa) OFM-Quinta da Lixa, +1:35
8 Chris Horner (USA) Lampre-Merida, same time
9 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha, +1:41
10 Edgar Pinto (Por) LA Aluminios-Antarte, +1:42

The favourites

Albert Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) is the biggest name on show in terms of general classification contenders and will be keen to make an early statement in 2014 with a good display. Rui Costa will be equally eager to impress now he has the team leadership of Lampre-Merida, while Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step) has shown good form already this year and could challenge for a place on the podium.

Brit watch

Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step), Alex Dowsett (Movistar), Jonathan McEvoy (NetApp-Endura), Erick Rowsell (NetApp-Endura)

Key stage

Stage four's summit finish on Alto do Malhao will give the major shake-up and the man who wins this stage will have a very good chance of claiming overall victory.