Volta a Portugal

The competition started in 1927, although its second edition only occurred in 1931. In 1936 and 1937 the tour did not take place. During World War II the race was cancelled between 1942 and 1945. In 1975 the competition was skipped due to the Carnation Revolution.

In the period 1940-1980 the competition was staged over three weeks. Since the 1980s it was reduced to the period of two weeks. As of 2005 the race consisted only of ten stages. In the last years the race consisted of ten stages and a prologue (a short time trial that starts the race). It is still the longest competition in cycling after the three grand Tours. It is one of the oldest stage races in the world. Although not as important as the three Grand Tours, it has long been a significant competition. In the last few years, however, it has declined in importance, especially due the fact that it now takes place immediately after the Tour de France, and before the Vuelta a España, a schedule that precludes the participation of major teams and cyclists.[1]

As of the 2016 edition, the jerseys worn by the leaders of the individual classifications are:
- Yellow Jersey – Worn by the leader of the general classification.
- green Jersey – Worn by the leader of the points classification.
- Blue Jersey – Worn by the leader of the climbing classification.
- White Jersey – Worn by the best rider under 23 years of age on the overall classification.

• Official website