Image: from Lluís Costabella Portella X @portella_l43523
By Open Chronicle Cycling
The 2026 Volta a Portugal entered a new phase at Termas do Gerês on 13 August, with Alexis Guérin retaining the Yellow Jersey but Adrià Pericas emerging as the major winner of the day.
Pericas claimed his first professional victory after staying with Guérin and Artem Nych through the decisive mountain selection before defeating both Anicolor Campicarn riders in the sprint.
The result also transformed the General Classification.
Guérin remains first and Nych second, but Pericas has climbed from fourth to third overall at 1 minute and 57 seconds, replacing Tiago Antunes on the provisional podium.
General Classification
Anicolor Campicarn continues to occupy the first two positions in the Volta, although only 47 seconds now separate its two leaders.
Pericas is the closest external challenger.
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexis Guérin | Anicolor Campicarn | 23:29:45 |
| 2 | Artem Nych | Anicolor Campicarn | +0:47 |
| 3 | Adrià Pericas | UAE Team Emirates XRG | +1:57 |
| 4 | Pedro Silva | Feira dos Sofás Boavista | +3:21 |
| 5 | José Neves | GI Group Holding Simoldes UDO | +4:29 |
| 6 | Tiago Antunes | Efapel Cycling | +4:57 |
Guérin therefore survives another major mountain test in yellow, but the identity of his closest external challenger has changed.
Yellow Jersey
Leader: Alexis Guérin
Team: Anicolor Campicarn
Advantage: 47 seconds over Artem Nych
Guérin finished alongside Nych and Pericas at Termas do Gerês and protected the race lead.
The Frenchman remains in a strong position because Anicolor also controls second place through Nych.
The difference between the teammates, however, has fallen from 1:26 after Torre to 1:12 following the Stage 5 time trial, 49 seconds after Stage 6 and now 47 seconds after Stage 7.
¡Victoria de Adrià Pericas! El corredor español del (UAE Emirates-XRG), logra su primera victoria como profesional ganando al esprint la séptima etapa de la Volta a Portugal 2026, y asciende al tercer puesto de la clasificación general. 🤩💪👏 📹Eurosport pic.twitter.com/rF47yd5o0H
— ⚡MazaCiclismo⚡ (@RuedaPedal) August 13, 2026
Pericas Enters the Podium Battle
The biggest classification change belongs to Adrià Pericas.
The UAE Team Emirates XRG youngster began Stage 7 fourth overall at 2:03.
He leaves the Gerês third at 1:57.
His performance was particularly significant because it came through confrontation with the strongest General Classification riders.
Pericas followed the decisive Anicolor acceleration, remained with Guérin and Nych, and then defeated both for the stage victory.
He is no longer simply defending the youth classification.
He is fighting for the final podium.
Young Rider Classification
Leader: Adrià Pericas
Team: UAE Team Emirates XRG
Jersey: White
General Classification: 3rd, +1:57
Pericas strengthened his position as the leading young rider with the best performance of his professional career.
His White Jersey campaign and General Classification ambitions have effectively become the same objective.
Every second he gains in the youth competition now also matters in the fight for the podium.
Points Classification
Leader: Rui Oliveira
Team: UAE Team Emirates XRG
Jersey: Orange
Rui Oliveira remains the reference at the head of the points competition following Stage 7.
The Portuguese rider had moved into the lead after finishing second behind Xabier Isasa in Peso da Régua on Stage 6, when he reached 67 points.
The mountain stage to Termas do Gerês shifted the day’s emphasis towards the General Classification rather than the pure sprinters.
Mountains Classification
Stage 7 provided one of the most significant days yet in the battle for the Blue Jersey, with major climbing points available as the race crossed the Gerês.
Rather than reproduce the previous day’s totals after a stage containing two first category climbs, the definitive post-Stage 7 mountains standings should be taken from the official race classification.
The Portuguese Cycling Federation has published both the final Stage 7 classifications and the updated overall classification documents.
Tiago Antunes Loses His Podium Position
The most significant negative movement among the leading riders involved Tiago Antunes.
The Efapel Cycling leader began the day third overall at 1:28 after an excellent sequence of performances.
Stage 7 changed that trajectory.
Antunes could not remain with Guérin, Nych and Pericas when the decisive selection was made and lost more than three minutes to the leading trio.
He falls to sixth overall at 4:57.
That does not eliminate Antunes from the fight for a high final position, but recovering a podium place has become substantially more difficult.
Pedro Silva Moves to Fourth
Pedro Silva was another major beneficiary of the Gerês stage.
The Feira dos Sofás Boavista rider finished fourth on the road, 28 seconds behind Pericas, and has climbed to fourth overall at 3:21.
He is now the highest placed Portuguese rider in the General Classification.
That gives Feira dos Sofás Boavista a major objective for the remaining three stages.
General Classification Battle
The situation at the front now looks very different from the one that entered the Gerês.
Alexis Guérin, 1st
Artem Nych, +0:47
Adrià Pericas, +1:57
Pedro Silva, +3:21
José Neves, +4:29
Tiago Antunes, +4:57
Anicolor still possesses the strongest tactical hand, with two riders occupying first and second.
But UAE Team Emirates XRG now has Pericas firmly established as the principal challenger from another team.
Classification Leaders After Stage 7
| Classification | Leader | Team |
|---|---|---|
| General | Alexis Guérin | Anicolor Campicarn |
| Points | Rui Oliveira | UAE Team Emirates XRG |
| Mountains | Official post Stage 7 classification | |
| Young Rider | Adrià Pericas | UAE Team Emirates XRG |
| Teams | Anicolor Campicarn |
UAE Has a New GC Leader
The development of Pericas also changes the tactical structure inside UAE Team Emirates XRG.
The team’s Volta began spectacularly.
Julius Johansen won the Lisbon prologue.
Rui Oliveira subsequently wore yellow.
Johansen then added another victory in the Stage 5 time trial.
Now Pericas has delivered another stage victory while moving onto the General Classification podium.
UAE therefore enters the final three stages with different objectives spread across several riders, stage victories, the points competition, the White Jersey and a potential final podium through Pericas.
Anicolor Still Holds the Strongest Hand
Despite Pericas’ breakthrough, Anicolor remains in control of the race.
Guérin has yellow.
Nych is second.
The two finished together at Termas do Gerês.
More importantly, the team was responsible for much of the decisive selection that removed several rivals from contention.
Stage 7 therefore produced a curious outcome.
UAE won the stage.
Pericas strengthened his position.
But Anicolor arguably strengthened its overall grip on the race by increasing the gaps to several other General Classification contenders.
Three Stages Remain
The race now heads towards its final weekend with a much clearer hierarchy.
Guérin and Nych occupy the first two positions.
Pericas has emerged as the strongest external challenger.
Pedro Silva has moved into fourth.
José Neves remains fifth.
Antunes must now attempt to recover after losing his podium position.
The margins are larger than they were before the Gerês, but the most decisive mountain appointment is still ahead.
Next: Stage 8
Stage 8 on 14 August takes the peloton from Melgaço to Fafe.
The 166.8 kilometre route provides another selective northern stage before the race reaches the crucial Stage 9 and its double ascent of Senhora da Graça.
For Guérin, the objective is increasingly simple.
Protect yellow.
For Nych, the 47 second gap remains small enough to keep the final victory within reach.
And for Pericas, the objective has fundamentally changed.
He entered Stage 7 as the White Jersey.
He leaves it as a stage winner, the leading young rider and third overall in the Volta a Portugal.