After competing in extremely muddy conditions at the event held in Brussels, Rúben Amaral finished the race in 24.23 minutes, 41 seconds behind the winner, Will Barnicoat of Great Britain. The major Portuguese hope, Etson Barros, finished only in 31st place, while João Pais finished in 32nd place, both more than a minute behind the victor.

Portugal's squad achieved seventh place, matching its highest Portuguese place in this under-23 division from 2009, 2010 and 2021.

“Being the top Portuguese competitor in this tournament surprised me. Etson Barros is aiming for a cross-country medal, and our squad is quite strong, but I am confident in my hard work and preparation. Knowing that many individuals wouldn't finish, I raced a more careful race. At the finish, I tried not to fall and then managed the race well and finished as best as possible.”

Best competitor

The best Portuguese competitor of the day was Lara Costa, who finished in 15th position in the women's under-20 race with a timing of 19.52 minutes, more than a minute and a half behind the winner, the British athlete Innes Fitzgerald.

Petra Santos, placed 57th, Stela Fernandes, came 60th, and Diana Fernandes, ranked 69th, were also competing; Portugal's team placed 12th overall.

In the men's under-20 division, the best Portuguese player was Lourenço Rodrigues, who finished in 34th position with a timing of 17.28 minutes, one minute and 19 seconds slower than the victor, Axel Christensen of Denmark.

Rui Mineiro finished in 67th place, André Geada in 79th, and André Barbosa did not finish in the race. Portugal placed thirteenth as a team.

Portugal entered just one competitor in the women's under-23 division, Inês Borba, who finished in 48th position with a timing of 29.33 minutes. Megan Keith, a British competitor, emerged victorious with a significant lead over the field.

In the senior division, Karoline Grovdal of Norway was victorious in the women's competition, as there was no Portuguese participant; Yann Schrub of France emerged victorious in the men's division.

The top Portuguese finisher was André Pereira, who came in at number 28, followed by Miguel Moreira in third, Alexandre Figueiredo in fifth, and João Pereira in sixth. Portugal placed tenth in the team rankings.

Author

A passionate Irish journalist with a love for cycling, politics and of course Portugal especially their sausage rolls.

Rory Mc Ginn