The Russian Katusha team will send one of their best rosters for stage races to to the Volta ao Algarve (February 17-21), with Joaquim Rodríguez and local hero Tiago Machado as leaders.

Joaquim Rodríguez, runner-up of the World Ranking in 2015, will return to the Portuguese race after five years of absence. Tiago Machado, third in the 2015 Volta ao Algarve, will try to improve his result in a race whose route suits him perfectly.

The team will be led by the Portuguese Sports Director José Azevedo who has selected another three riders from the 2015 Volta ao Algarve top 10: Rein Taaramae, sixth, Sergey Chernetskii, seventh, and Alberto Losada, eighth. Aleksandr Porsev, Ángel Vicioso and Sergey Lagutin will complete the roster.  

The 42nd Volta ao Algarve will have 24 teams at the start

WorldTour: Astana, Cannondale, Etixx-QuickStep, FDJ, IAM Cycling, Katusha, Lotto Soudal, Lotto NL-Jumbo, Movistar, Team Sky, Tinkoff and Trek-Segafredo

Pro Continental: Bora-Argon 18, Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, Gazprom-RusVelo, Novo Nordisk, Roth and Verva ActiveJet

Continental: Efapel, LA Alumínios-Antarte, Louletano-Hospital de Loulé, Rádio Popular-Boavista, Sporting-Tavira and W52-FC Porto