“This one means a lot,” Noah said. “It’s the first one of the year, first one with the team, so we’re starting off well. It’s nice for my teammates to know that they can trust me and I can do it.”

Noah put his trust in his teammates going into the final kilometers of the 166.6 km stage from Beja to Moura. The race had been super fast all day and only got more hectic with the finish line approaching. Jenthe Verstraete got away in the early break, allowing his teammates to save their energy and allowing him to pick up bonus seconds. That left our squad with the strength to push forward near the end, with Gavin Hlady doing a huge turn to bring Noah to the fore going into the last bend.

“Before the race, the plan was to get some guys up the road and take some time bonuses, because this race can be won on time bonuses, and then to put ourselves in a good position to go for the stage win with Noah,” said Mike Creed, sports director for EF Education-Aevolo. “Jenthe did a really good job getting away with the break and stayed calm and took those time bonuses. He got caught with 20 to go, but didn't really force it, so he could make sure to have the same time at the finish as the main group. Then the guys focused on helping Noah out in the finale, because it was really tricky and uphill. Basically, there was a turn with 600 meters to go that was super, super clutch. It got a little disorganized – it wasn't just us; it was every team – but Noah found Gavin at just the right time and had Gavin go and then Gavin dropped him off right in the perfect spot.”

And then Noah took off.

The Brit now leads the general classification, with teammate Jenthe Verstraete just four seconds back in third overall due to the extra time he earned ahead of the peloton in the break. The two of them hope to tag team the next four stages with Noah going for the sprints and Jenthe looking for opportunities to attack when the race goes uphill.

“The vibe in the team is really good right now,” Noah said. “We are first and third at the moment, so we've got some cards to play. Everyone's happy. I'm happy. It’s going to be good these next couple of days. We’ve got a lot of confidence.”

This first victory for the squad since it joined EF Pro Cycling means a lot to Creed

“Colby Simmons was desperately close in Greece, so to finally get it over the hump in Portugal makes you realize how good the team is,” Creed said. “We are not just a one-rider team. We have multiple forces. In cycling, you lose more races than you win, so it is always nice when someone on the team shows everyone that wins are right there and we have the ability. Going into tomorrow, defending Noah’s jersey gives the guys a bit of a purpose in the pack, too. It elevates the mood, but I think it also excites the guys about what the next stages are going to bring and what the rest of the year is going to bring.”

If Noah Hobbs and his EF Education-Aevolo teammates keep this momentum rolling, the rest of this Volta ao Alentejo and the season ahead are going to bring a lot more success.