Ben Healy through crash chaos ahead of big day in Algarve | Video

Ben Healy trailed home three minutes down on the opening stage of Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta, but only due to the chaos cause by late crashes

Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) has come through a chaotic finish of the opening stage at Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta, where he trailed home over three minutes down, but only due to the impact of some late crashes.

The 200.8km stage from Portimāo to Lagos was won in a bunch sprint - after a long and dull day out - by Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty) after the early breakaway was caught.

Thijssen won the day ahead of Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) and Jordi Meeus (Bora-hansgrohe) after the pace inside the last 20km dropped off once the breakaway was caught only to ramp up again much closer to the finish.

And while splits occurred in the field due to a crash inside the final 3km, one of several spills today, the time gaps created with nullified. That meant Healy, who was 73rdm was credited with the same time as the stage winner.

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The race finishes atop the cat 1 Alto da Fóia tomorrow, which should see time gaps emerge, especially considering the quality of the field.

Among the top general classification men in the field, and who Healy will hope to battle with over the next four days, are: Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers), Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek), Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), Sepp Kuss and Wout van Aert (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep).

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