Early-season struggles continue at Algarve

The search for a first win of the year goes on for Euskaltel: Today's second stage of the Volta ao Algarve saw another subdued performance from Galdeano's team.

Theo Bos came out tops at the end of the 195km leg from and to Lagoa, the Team Blanco rider ousting Giacomo Nizzolo of RadioShack and the surprise of the day, Carmim-Tavira's Bruno Matos. German speedster Steffen Radochla was Euskaltel's best man in 14th - posting his best result of the year.

Hoping to avoid the eventual mass sprint, Euskaltel wisely put Ricardo García in the day's main break alongside Basque Caja Rural prodigy Omar Fraile and eight others. Despite their strength in numbers, though, the peloton kept them in check and never let them get too far up the road.

Ahead of Saturday's hilly third leg to the top of the Alto do Malhão, Radochla is the team's highest-placed rider on GC, lying in 31st at 14 seconds.

Results (full results here):

• (1, Theo Bos (Blanco), 4:50:15)
• 14 Steffen Radochla, s.t.
• 31, Ricardo García, s.t.
• 35, Jure Kocjan, s.t.
• 54, Egoi Martínez, s.t.
• 65, Jorge Azanza, s.t.
• 71, Miguel Minguez, s.t.
• 150, Ricardo García, 2:56
• 152, Jon Aberasturi, 4:05 

Photo: Euskaltel Euskadi