Pau Martí takes first victory with IPT Academy in Volta a Portugal
# Pau Martí Celebrates First Victory with IPT Academy at Volta a Portugal
Pau Martí showcased an outstanding performance on stage 2 of the Volta a Portugal, claiming his first win with the IPT Academy team in Fafe after being part of a thrilling late breakaway. The 20-year-old Spaniard has made a significant mark in the cycling world with this impressive achievement.
“Taking my first win for the team feels incredible,” Martí expressed after the podium ceremony. “I knew I had good legs, and the team was amazing all day. I really have to thank the boys for how they rode today. In the final, I felt strong and I managed to launch my sprint exactly as I wanted to. What a day!”
Martí’s performance has been consistently strong throughout the opening stages of the race. Following a seventh-place finish in Wednesday’s prologue, he placed ninth the next day after assisting teammate Brady Gilmore in the sprint. His hard work culminated in today’s victory.
IPT Academy sports director Ruben Plaza commended the team for perfectly executing their race strategy and praised Martí for his composure during the final moments. “This was a great day for us. Pau is a super smart rider, and he really knows how to handle himself in these kinds of situations. When you have a rider like him, it’s quite easy to get good results,” Plaza noted.
He added, “The plan for today was to arrive at the gravel sector in a good position and then be ready to follow the moves – and we did just that. The boys were great! Daniel [Lima] and Pau did well to be in the first group, and even though we were unlucky to lose Daniel from the front group, as he had to brake to avoid a rider in front of him, Pau was still able to win the stage and take the jersey.”
With the bonus seconds earned from his victory, Martí is now the new race leader of the Volta a Portugal, holding a two-second advantage heading into stage 3, which features four categorized climbs.
“We still have a long race ahead of us, so I just want to enjoy the moment for now, and then we’ll see how long we can keep the jersey. The team is really strong, and we’re motivated to keep going like this,” Martí stated, looking confidently toward the challenges ahead.
