António Morgado Wins Trofeo Calvià in Rainy Mallorca Sprint

António Morgado of UAE Team Emirates-XRG claimed a brilliant victory at the Trofeo Calvià on Wednesday, the opening race of the Challenge Mallorca. Battling heavy rain, Morgado bridged to the leading breakaway and eventually out-sprinted Spain’s Héctor Álvarez in Palmanova.

The race featured short, tough climbs that wore down the peloton early. Adrien Boichis (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Ådne  Holter (Uno-X Mobility), and Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) built a strong lead of over 90 seconds before the penultimate climb.

With 33km remaining, Morgado launched a decisive attack in the wet conditions. Only Álvarez could respond, joining him to chase down the front trio. By the Coll de sa Gramola climb, the five riders were at the front together.

On the final climb, Coll de Soma, Álvarez attacked first, but Morgado quickly followed, leaving them alone ahead. Neither could break away, leading to a thrilling sprint finish where Morgado crossed the line first.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG also secured two top-10 finishes, with Nils Politt eighth and Rune Herregodts ninth, marking a strong start to their season.