Un Tour of Italy leading course, a national championship (time trial) won and a long summer to recover, reflect and prepare the Return. Joao almeida In Rome, he managed to earn his first podium in a major Giro. This catapulted him, if not into a new dimension, then into a state of greater self-awareness.
In the group, Joao is one of the most respected and prominent athletes. And at Tour of Poland We were able to observe all this live for a whole week. He moved like a leader. And all this without considering that he was the absolute protagonist of the race. with Mohoric until the last intermediate sprint.
With Spain in the lead
A real spectacle. On the fast Polish finishes Joao fought with more explosive riders and he seemed to be the “first Almeida”, the one of the Giro in October when, wearing the pink jersey, he sprinted with Ulissi in Monselice or left behind his rivals in the general classification in San Daniele del Friuli. An brilliance of a finisher rediscovery that could be a weapon not to be underestimated in terms of bonus points at the Vuelta.
We had left him with his legs stretched out on a chair behind the Lussari podium.
«I'm fine – the rider told us UAE Emirates – this summer went according to plan. After the Giro I took part in the national championships, both on the road and in the time trial, and then I moved up to higher altitudes, to prepare for the next races with the Vuelta as our main focus."
"During the retreat, I worked regularly. In the sense that I didn't change anything. I tried to work well on every aspect, especially on the hard climbs. While the Tour de Pologne was very important for him to find his brilliance again."
Ayuso, friend and rival
But as often happens today after retreats, and as we mentioned, Almeida immediately seemed fit. He left Poland (also headed to Glasgow) with an encouraging second place—consider that after over a thousand kilometers of racing, he lost by just one second—the feeling is that of an athlete with a lot to offer. And one who somehow wants to dot the i's right away.
Competition in Spain is high and There's a "rival" at home who's no laughing matter: Juan Ayuso. But on this aspect Almeida perhaps appears more relaxed than he is.
"Living with Juan? I think it'll be fine. We're friends and often hike together. We even spent the last few days together in Andorra. (They were on Envalira, where they tackled several climbs that will be in the Vuelta, ed.). We start on equal terms and then we run our own race. I didn't have to go fast in Poland to be able to say I was the leader in Spain, but to evaluate my feelings, to run my own race... and also try to win."
The issue of leadership and trust was an aspect that Almeida had already touched on after the Giro d'Italia. In particular he had spoken about the importance of having won on the uphill by beating his rivals in the head to head, as he had done on Bondone, and of learning to be the team captain. He had emphasized that this wasn't something you learned overnight.
Chrono, all-in
In Spain, it will be a bit like reliving the Giro d'Italia. Joao, Thomas, Roglic, Caruso... will be competing in the race.
"It's true! Everything's the same… It'll be a bit like the Giro, but a different race. A different race because of its smaller, more tense stages, but also because it will be hotter. You have to prepare well for the heat… but in the end the strongest always wins."
The strongest wins: we saw it in this World Championship too. The strongest were all up there… despite a course that wasn't particularly selective in terms of altitude. The first names in view of the Vuelta that Almeida is doing are Remco e Roglic, the most feared according to him. "But," he continues, "there are so many strong names. They're not easy to beat because they're all strong, both in time trials and on climbs. What's the secret? To be more capable than them!.
The Portuguese rider continues to rely heavily on time trials. His technicians in Poland also told us that he'll be going to the World Championships primarily to perform well in the time trial. For him, the kilometers against the clock could be the key to the podium in Madrid. Meanwhile, the team time trial in Barcelona begins.
