To produce the films for the awards, we were invited to Portugal by Volta Pro Tours, a cycling tour company that introduces riders to a beautiful country that has gone largely undiscovered by foreign cyclists.

Hosted by Volta founder Adriano Placidi, we were guided through some of the most spectacular locations that Portugal has to offer, from rolling coastal roads skirting along the cliffs of the Atlantic coast, all the way up to Serra da Estrela, the country’s highest point with a brutal 19km climb to the summit.

Joining us on our adventures was multiple Portuguese national champion Daniela Reis, a very talented young rider who will be making the step up to UCI level with Belgian team Lares-Waowdeals in 2017.

As well as helping to guide us to the best filming locations, Daniela stepped in as the model in our Women’s Bike of the Year, looking far better on a bike than any of us could ever wish.
You might think that having a professional rider on board would be something put on specially for one of the world’s biggest cycling websites, but in fact it will be a standard part of all Volta tours.

Volta Pro Tours currently has two tours scheduled: the Grand Tour Alentejo in the east of the country and the N2 Challenge taking in the whole length of Portugal, both of which will have pro level support including following vehicles, with former Team Sky and Tinkoff directeur sportif Sean Yates in the car for the Grand Tour Alentejo.

However, Volta Pro Tours is not just about the riding.
Adriano and co. will make sure that you can relax at the end of a long day in the saddle with luxury five star hotels and the high quality (and quantity) food that Portugal is renowned for.

By Henry Robertshaw

CYCLING WEEKLY