Adrià Pericas claims first professional victory at the Volta a Portugal

On stage 7 of the Volta a Portugal, Adrià Pericas picked up his first professional victory in just his debut season with UAE Team Emirates-XRG. A graduate of the team’s development squad, Pericas won a three-up sprint to the line in Portugal and moved up to third overall.

At just 20 years of age, Pericas becomes the 17th different rider to claim a victory for UAE Team Emirates-XRG in the 2026 campaign. Last season, the Emirati squad set a sporting record with wins hailing from 20 different riders, and with almost three months of the campaign left to go, ambitions can be equally high.

In Portugal, Pericas triumphed on one of the race’s toughest stages, with the young Spaniard emerging as one of the strongest climbers on the Alto de Germil (11.9km at 5.9%).

It was on these cruel slopes that the race leader Alexis Guerin made a strong attack flanked by his Anicolor/Campicarn teammate, Artem Nych. As the pair used the cobbled climb to distance their rivals, only Pericas could follow their wheels. At the summit, the trio were at the head of the race and would not be caught again before the finish.

The final climb of the day, the Vila do Gerês (4.5km at 4%), would take the riders to the line at Termas do Gerês, and it was at its peak that the leading trio would contest the stage honours.

With the Anicolor/Campicarn duo on his wheel, Pericas took the initiative and opened up his sprint with a couple of hundred metres to go. Down in the drops of his handlebars, the 20-year-old powered towards the line and refused to relinquish the race lead.

As he crossed the line, Pericas punched the air in delight. He had his first professional win in his neo-pro year and moved up to third in the general classification.

Three stages remain in this year’s Volta a Portugal, and UAE Team Emirates-XRG have three stage victories to date. The Emirati squad has now moved to 63 wins for the season.

Pericas: “Incredible, it was just a crazy stage, crazy hard. I felt super good; my teammates did a super good job, so I am proud to win this stage, and I am really happy. I will enjoy this a lot, it is super special for me – my first pro win. I worked a lot for this with my family and my friends. I just want to give thanks to all the people who carried me and took care of me. I am really happy.

“I saw the Anicolor riders were super strong. I was almost at my limit on the hard climb, and after that I felt super good on the downhill. I pushed all the way to the line, and I am now super, super happy.”

Volta a Portugal 2026 stage 7 results:

1. Adrià Pericos (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 3:48:32

2. Artem Nych (Anicolor/Campicarn) s.t

3. Alexis Guerin (Anicolor/Campicarn) s.t

Volta a Portugal 2026 general classification after stage 7:

1. Alexis Guerin (Anicolor/Campicarn) 23:29:45

2. Artem Nych (Anicolor/Campicarn) +47″

3. Adrià Pericas (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +1:57