Morgado keeps cool under pressure to defend Figueira Champions Classic title in Portugal

It was a stormy day on Portugal’s Atlantic coast. With waves crashing high along the shoreline, race organisers intervened on safety grounds: the course was shortened by 15 kilometres, with part of the opening phase removed. The finale remained largely unchanged, leaving a punchy, rolling run-in to decide the winner.

The early break was made up of five Portuguese riders from continental teams. The best-known name was Rafael Reis, a former pro with Caja Rural–Seguros RGA and a former Portuguese time trial champion. The quintet built a lead of more than six minutes, while Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe controlled in the bunch.

With 70 kilometres to go and the classified climbs approaching, the advantage had dropped to four minutes. The leaders were also joined by three chasers — plus one Portuguese rider who had been distanced from the original move — as the peloton crossed the finish line for the first time with 57 kilometres remaining.

From there, the race went into two local circuits built around the climbs of Rua Parque Florestal (2.3km at 7.8%) and Enforca Cães (800m at 7.3%). Attacks were inevitable, and it was Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe who lit the fuse through Daniel Felipe Martínez.

Brandon McNulty of UAE Team Emirates-XRG joined Martínez. When the American lifted the pace again, an elite chase group formed about a minute behind a front group of four, with Martínez and McNulty accompanied by Riley Sheehan (NSN) and Max Poole (Picnic PostNL).

With 34 kilometres to go, the two groups of four merged, holding a slender lead of around a minute over a reduced peloton. The original escapees were running on fumes by then, so the real threat came from behind. EF Education–EasyPost and Cofidis had missed the move and drove hard in the bunch, triggering a regrouping with 22 kilometres left.

UAE had to reshuffle, but they still had the perfect card: Morgado, a fast finisher for a tough, selective race like this. McNulty then went all-in for the Portuguese rider, stretching the peloton until splits opened and a group of seven slipped clear. UAE were represented by Morgado and McNulty, with Martínez once again there as well. Pau Martí (NSN), Thomas Gloag (Pinarello–Q36.5), Aranburu (Cofidis) and Jarno Widar (Lotto–Intermarché) also found themselves in a position to dream.

With McNulty drilling it, the front group carried 12 seconds into the final 10 kilometres, but EF and Movistar continued the chase and it became a knife-edge situation. Up front, everyone knew something had to happen. Aranburu launched a sharp acceleration and eventually only Morgado could go with him. Two riders, both with a serious kick, committed to working together toward the line.

Their gap back to the first chasers was still respectable, and that was enough for Aranburu to start playing poker. Morgado visibly grew frustrated — a moment that was even picked up on social media — but the Spaniard refused to take a full turn and instead backed himself to start the sprint from Morgado’s wheel. The UAE rider, however, didn’t panic and timed it right to win again in Figueira for the second consecutive season.