Written by Christian of Team WonderDee
  
  Preview Volta ao Porto
  
  Stage 1: Porto Prologue:
  Volta ao Porto begins with a short, flat and fast prologue. The stage could be won by a talented sprinters, the promise of a few valuable seconds to the more powerful GC contenders or the honour of wearing the yellow jersey to the time triallist who gives the most on the day.
  
  Stage 2: Porto - Viana do Castelo:
  A break will go, it’ll be controlled, it’ll come back, there’ll be a sprint among the fast men in the peloton.
  
  Stage 3: Viana do Castelo - Portelinha:
  Three categorised climbs with a summit finish on Portelinha. Cliché time; "you’re not going to win the Volta ao Porto on a stage this

early but you could sure as hell lose it." Today the contenders will be separated from the dreamers.
  
  Stage 4: Porto - Aveiro:
  A nice flat stage for the sprinters the day after the first mountain stage – "easy life." A flat coastal parcours where the wind could be coming in off the North Atlantic. Watch out for echelons. Could be danger for the GC guys if this happens.
  
  Stage 5: Aveiro (ITT):
  With little challenging terrain or tricky corners this route is likely to favour pure time triallists in what will surely be a crucial stage in the general classification.
  
  Stage 6: Aveiro - Penamacor:
  With three first cats. along the way and an HC finish on Penamacor, it looks like a slug fest among the GC contenders and with that mountain top finish any gains made are kept with no

descent to claw back time on.
  
  Stage 7: Macedo de Cavaleiros - Vinhais:
  The day after a tough mountain stage serves up five categorised climbs on narrow twisting roads, a day for the break aways but an adventurous GC contender could use this day to his advantage. The contenders ability on descents wil be tested with a fast and challenging downhill run before the final climb.
  
  Stage 8: Vinhais - Vinhais:
  It looks like a breakaway day, but it might just come back together?
  
  Stage 9: Porto (ITT):
  A 23 km tough time trial stage where the final GC and YC will be decided.
  
  Stage 10: Porto - Porto (Parade):
  The final act of Volta ao Porto sees the sprinters teams come to the fore again. A flat route in the area of Porto.