Close to the summit of the Alto do Fóia climb, a statue of Remco Evenepoel commemorates his 2020 breakthrough win on the Volta ao Algarve’s toughest ascent, his left arm punching the sky in a timeless reminder of his first-ever victory on a mountaintop finish.
Four years on in the same scenario, as dense mist enshrouded the top of the exposed, treeless climb and a vicious Atlantic wind and occasional heavy rain shower left race followers shivering, the Belgian could not repeat his single-arm victory salute.
