Danish cyclist Magnus Cort has started the third stage of the Volta ao Algarve, the longest of the 49th edition, which will link Faro to Tavira, in what will be the last chance for sprinters.

After taking the lead at the top of Fóia, the 30-year-old Dane from EF Education-EasyPost faces a theoretically quiet journey in the longest stage of this edition, which will start in the 'capital' of the Algarve and finish in Tavira, after 203.1 kilometres.

The peloton left Faro at 10:40am, heading for the two mountain passes of the day, the third category of Portela da Corcha (63.4) and Cachopo (78.3).

Before the final sprint, the finish line in Vila Real de Santo António will give out bonus seconds at kilometre 178.5.

The end of the third tirade will be the last chance for the fastest men of the peloton, namely the Norwegian Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X) or the Dutchman Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal Quick-Step), who still seeks to isolate himself as the active cyclist with more wins in the 'Algarvia'.

The finish at Avenida Zeca Afonso, in Tavira, is scheduled for 15:59, and it is expected that Cort will have no problems holding the yellow.

The EF Education-EasyPost cyclist is first overall, four seconds ahead of Belgian Ilan van Wilder (Soudal Quick-Step), second, and six ahead of Portuguese Rui Costa (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), who closes the podium.