🎥 Cycling isn’t for everyone: Ivo Oliveira's miraculous ride to claim the Portuguese National title

Oliveira was undoubtedly the top favorite for victory. He was the most prominent name on the start list. He had already shown himself to be in good form this year, with two stage wins in Il Giro d'Abruzzo, a stage win in the Tour of Slovenia, and his first professional victory in Boucles de la Mayenne in 2023. Together with his twin brother Rui Oliveira, he has been riding for what is currently the best team in the WorldTour for several years. Expectations were, therefore, high.

However, Rui Oliveira's race seemed to be over after just five kilometers. “I was badly injured after an early crash and never thought my day would end like this,” he said afterward via his social media channels. Footage of his crash shows Oliveira plunging into a ditch with his right side completely torn open. It took a while before he got up and was helped back on his feet by a medic.

From there, the Portuguese rider began an incredible comeback. “Temperatures above 40 degrees made it one of the hardest days ever,” said the day's winner. In a sprint, he beat Pedro Silva of the continental Anicolor / Tien 21 team, with Diogo Conçalves finishing third, already 1.33 minutes behind. His brother Rui Oliveira finished eighth. “I ended up at the front and had to sprint for the title. My breakaway partner Silva showed that he is a great rider.”

Nevertheless, the title went to the top favorite. Although UAE Team Emirates-XRG has not excelled in designing national jerseys for years (often opting for just a flag on the stomach and back), Oliveira is looking forward to wearing it. Now it's finally time for a bit of rest before preparing for the second half of the season with new colors that will be seen around the world.