The first edition of the Volta ao Algarve took place in 1960. The race is an important test for the first major WorldTour races of the season. The Jumbo-Visma team has already had success in the final classification of the Portuguese race with Primoz Roglic. In 2017, the Slovenian took his first overall victory in a multi-day stage race there.

On the eve of his cycling season, Foss is eager to wear a jersey again. “I feel perfect right now. The winter went very well. The training has been good, and I have been able to do a lot of kilometres. Of course, it remains to be seen how my form will be, but I have a good feeling. I can’t wait to start racing again.”

The course of the Portuguese stage race has many similarities to last year’s edition. Foss finished sixth in the final classification despite a crash in the last kilometres of stage two. The Norwegian was involved in a crash in a promising position, which cost him a possible stage win.

Foss hopes to put himself in a good position on the two climbs, one through the Portuguese hills and a sprinters’ stage. “We have a time trial on the last day. This is very special because I will be wearing the rainbow jersey. I can’t wait to show it off to the world. After the title in Australia, the season was short. The Chrono des Nations is my first chance to show it to the public. I am looking forward to doing it again next week”, the world champion says.

In this particular Chrono des Nations, the 25-year-old rider raced to second place, just two seconds behind winner Stefan Küng. “The jersey really gave me wings. Hopefully, it will happen again this season. Did winning the world title change anything? Maybe a little bit. I am even more confident at the start of a time trial. I know I can win a race at the highest level. I want to continue this way this season, starting in the Algarve. Although the competition will take me seriously after this particular day in September”, says Foss with a wink.

“It gave me a lot of tangible memories that I won’t forget for the rest of my life. But I am looking beyond that highlight. I want to get consistent results this season. Hopefully, this week in the Algarve will be the start of that. The time trial course is almost 25 kilometres long and is perfect for me. It is very technical and hilly. We will do our best to make it a good race. It is one of my personal goals for the season”, says Foss, referring to his strong finish in the Portuguese race.

In addition to Foss, the starting lineup for Team Jumbo-Visma includes Tim van Dijke, Gijs Leemreize, Milan Vader, Sam Oomen, and Owen Geleijn.