Backing the Volta ao Portugal winner, hoping to race with British team
One of Europe’s great races, the Tour of Portugal – the ‘Volta’ – recently took place; Ricardo Mestre took the leader’s jersey with a clear win in the stage seven time trial and defended it to the end, aided and abetted by his Tavira-Prio team.
One of those supporting riders happens to be British: Tomas Swift-Metcalfe
This was the Volta’s 73rd edition, with the first event held in 1927; the race has the history, but not the big-name winners to stamp it on the consciousness of the European fans.
But it’s a tough race, very much in spirit like the Rás in Ireland; contested by a field of widely varying abilities and extremely difficult for even well-drilled pro teams to control, with constant attacking being the norm.
The race used to be of three week duration but has been trimmed back to two by modern UCI regulations.
We caught up with 26 year-old Swift-Metcalfe as he prepared for the post Volta criteriums – held in the same spirit (but not budget levels) as their post Tour equivalent Portuguese calendar.
VeloNation: how did you come to be ‘an Englishman on the Algarve,’ Tomas?
Tomas Swift-Metcalfe: I was born here; my family has been here since 1962. My mum is Irish, my dad is British, he runs a ceramics factory.
VN: And what about the half Portuguese, half British name?
TSM: If you’re born in Portugal then you have to take a Portuguese Christian name.
VN: Mestre won the GP Joaquim Agostinho as a curtain raiser to the Volta, didn’t he?
TSM: Yes, it comes in early July – he went against team orders and attacked on stage one where no one expected. It worked perfectly, he took the stage and the GC lead and held it until the end. It’s a race which is defined by hills and wind – here are four stages, all very hilly.
VN: Who’s the main man in Portugal…is it still Candido Barbosa (9 wins in 2010)?
TSM: No, he has a chronic knee injury which has had operations on before and there’s nothing they can do with it, now.
Sergio Ribeira is probably the main man; he won two stages in the Volta last year and a stage in Castilla y Leon
VN: Tell us a little about Tavira…
TSM: It’s a Continental team I’ve been with them since 2008, it was Palmeiras Resort-Tavira through to 2010 – for this year it’s Tavira-Prio.
Everything is done professionally, we get a salary, we ride an international calendar, we have four bikes each. But it’s tough at the moment finding sponsors due to the financial climate.
VN: And can you tell us about the Volta?
TSM: It starts at the beginning of August and is one of the biggest races in Europe – a UCI 2.1.It used to be virtually three weeks in duration but now it’s down to two weeks…ten days, with a prologue and a rest day.
The media interest is huge – it pulls something like 40% to 60% of the total Portuguese TV audience.
VN: Do folks remember the Englishman who won the Volta in 1988?
TSM: Yes, when I started racing, everywhere I went people would mention Cayn Theakston’s name – he has a place in the Portuguese imagination.
He had to ride against his own team to win, not just the opposition. That’s the thing when you’re young and ambitious, it’s easy for teams to take advantage of you.
VN: So, tell us about how Tavira won the 2011 Volta…
TSM: With a lot of hard work! We had three of the top four finishers – the team’s main objectives are hard, mountainous stage races and the Volta in particular.
In the Algarve, where most of the team comes from, we have good climbers. It was no surprise to me that Ricardo won, he’s an excellent time trial rider and climber – he’d be an asset to any Pro Tour team but down here in Portugal we’re rather hidden from view.
The last few years we haven’t seen the best of Ricardo because he’s been riding for David Blanco, but he’s gone to Geox.
We bided our time on the early stages and then in the stage seven TT he won by a minute clear; after that it was up to us to defend it to the end…the time trial really suited him because there were 600 metres of elevation.
We won stage eight too, with Andre Cardoso – that was text book stuff, we still had seven of our nine riders at the head of affairs coming in to the last climb, so we were able to save our climbers.
VN: The last stage is in to Lisbon – ‘Tour style?’
TSM: Yes – and it’s phenomenally dangerous! We had a huge celebration back in Tavira, thousands of people to welcome us, a parade on an open topped bus, press, TV – I’ve never seen anything like it.
VN: How is the Portuguese race scene, in general?
TSM: In ’08/09 it was fantastic – nine good teams, all well structured. Now with the economic crisis and the fall out from the Liberty Seguros doping scandals, it’s not as good.
If the Benfica team had worked out, it would have been different, as it would have kept the scene buoyant – they had plenty of interest from small sponsors but held out for one big investor and it flopped.
The Volta and Tour of the Algarve are huge, but it’s not a big sport with the public apart from those two races.
VN: Are things cleaner these days?
TSM: It’s not a dominating factor now; but I do remember when guys would start to go like aeroplanes for a week, so it was a factor.
They’ve made huge efforts to clean it up; even although we’re at Continental level we’re on ‘whereabouts’ and ‘biological passport.’
VN: Are you a ‘miles’ or ‘scientific’ trainer?
TSM: I’m not a miles man, I concentrate on intensity. I train on pulse rather than power, I know that’s not the trend; but I studied sports science at Loughborough and I’ve learned how to get the best out of myself with it.
VN: Did you ever get involved with British Cycling?
TSM: As an amateur in 2006 when I went to Loughborough but dropped out to race in the UK. But I only rode a couple of races and then went full time elite in Portugal.
I sent them my results but I never heard anything back.
VN: How would you describe yourself as a rider?
TSM: I’m a domestique and I try to do my job well; I’m a solid rouleur – good to have in a team time trial.
I work hard for my team. For example, in the Volta’s second stage, I had to drive the break to force the other teams to chase, selfless riding . .
VN: You rode the British elite champs, which Bradley Wiggins won – what’s your take on the race?
TSM: It was the ‘same old’ a repeat of last year; Sky dominated – I was a bit disappointed that the home riders didn’t put up much of a fight.
But it was impressive to watch. They lined across the road and then Jez Hunt absolutely drilled it into the climb at 60 kph – everyone was hanging on and Sky just blasted off the front.
VN: What’s after the Volta?
TSM: We have the post Volta criteriums; the same idea as the post Tour crits – but a lot less money!
VN: Would you ever consider riding for a UK based team?
TSM: I’d love to! But it would have to be a good programme – a team which raced in France and Iberia. It would be good, though – a change of peloton.
It’s tough, I’m 26 and I have to earn a living; it’s getting tougher here in Portugal to make a living with the austerity measures.
And you have to have a realistic source of food!