Cameron Waugh is still adjusting to life in the pro cycling peloton at Volta ao Algarve.

The newcomer to Team Ineos joined the British team at the end of January, marking the 36-year-old's return to racing for the first time since 2014.

The Australian has competed in Ironman triathlon events and trained with many Team Ineos riders.

He told Cycling News at the start of stage 4 in Albufeira. [It's been a long time since I've raced in five years. Even when I raced at Ironman, I was in control of what effort I put in.

"Here you have to constantly chase people. But I'm getting better every day, and the last couple of days I've been doing better.

"It was definitely a tough adjustment. But it's the pinnacle of the sport, so it has to be. You shouldn't be able to devote half a century to another sport and come back to it so easily."

Since Wolf last turned the pedal in anger for Cannondale in 2014, there have been changes throughout professional racing, from bike technology to racing style to rider strength and performance. The improved level of competition, in particular, is what impressed him about his five-day return to racing.

"The most exciting thing for me is that the sport has come a long way. If I had a 54 chainring on a few years ago, I would have looked around and thought, 'Wow, it's like having one more gear.'

"I was going too fast and almost spun out, and I thought, 'They put the wrong chainring on me, I'm going too fast, I'm going too fast.'

"And it's really exciting to see how many good teams we have and how everyone is stepping up. When you look at the other teams, they all have good riders. The level of this sport is really high.

Ulf says he has no regrets about leaving the sport at age 31. He turned pro in 2009 with Fuji-Cervetto and raced almost exclusively with Italian teams after Androni Giocattoli and Liquigas/Cannondale.

Training with his friends at Team Ineos, he realized he still had the ability to race at the top level.

"I didn't have to come back, but I could come back with the best team in the world.

"As Dave said at the team camp, you only have so much time for sports. [It's fun to be on the bus, speaking English and having a little banter. It keeps me mentally upbeat, and when I can be myself away from the race, I can focus more on the race."

"Before, I don't think I would have fit in well with the Italian team. I realized there was a big difference in my approach."

Ulf's return to the peloton has been enthusiastically received by his new colleagues, with the players offering advice on training and helping him get back up to speed.

Volta Ao Algarve race leader and genius rider Remco Evenpole (Detunink-Quick Step) is also interested.

"I talked to Lemko on stage 3 and he said he did a 1:16 half marathon when he was 16. He said he couldn't swim, but he was interested in learning, so I said, 'I'm never going to help you with that process.'" Wolfe joked.

His first stage race since returning as a professional will conclude with a time trial in Lagoa on Sunday.

Aside from returning to triathlon for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, in October, the rest of the year's schedule is still up in the air, but Wolfe says he is ready to race when and where.

"I don't have any specific plans. I wasn't going to be in Geelong for Cadel, and I wasn't going to be here. So I'm going to go back to Andorra and settle down for the next six or seven months. At least I will be on the same continent for whatever race they call me."

"I'm going to be competing in something every month. My role is to make sure I don't have to do an extra race or that the team doesn't run out of riders.

"I don't know how useful I am here, but at least I am more useful than not. If I can keep that up, I think I'm contributing as much as is expected of me."