ANALYSIS | Joao Almeida leads the way as Portuguese riders shine in 2025

Tuesday, 15 April 2025 at 13:50

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Portuguese cycling is going through an excellent period and the latest results only confirm this trend. João Almeida had a memorable week in the Tour of the Basque Country, where he won two stages and brilliantly won the final general classification.

But it's not just Almeida, no, as António Morgado continues to impress with very solid performances in two Monuments: the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

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In the demanding Basque race, marked by short, explosive stages, Almeida showed tactical intelligence, consistency on the climbs and a rare ability to make important decisions. The Portuguese rider from UAE Team Emirates -XRG not only won an uphill sprint finish, but also imposed his authority on the main stage of the race, thus securing victory in the general classification, a highly prestigious achievement, especially in a race full of top names.

João Almeida sealed the first victory for a Portuguese in the Tour of the Basque Country with a win in the race's main stage

Meanwhile, António Morgado is charting a different but equally promising course this year. At just 21, the UAE rider is experiencing his second spring among the top professionals and is handling the parallels and chaos of the classics with impressive maturity. In Flanders and Roubaix, he finished both races with class, without fear of the big names and without hiding from the harshness of the races.

This is a clear sign that he's not just an under-23 talent, he's a cyclist made for the World Tour.

What's striking about both of them is that they're not just good Portuguese riders. They're good riders, period. They race with intelligence, ambition and the ability to adapt. João Almeida will once again aim for the podium in the Grand Tours. António Morgado, if he keeps this up, could become a rare case of a Portuguese capable of shining in the one day races.

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Portugal may not yet have the depth of other nations, but it does have two talents acting as the locomotive of a generation. In common, João and António share sobriety and solidity, a trait increasingly valued in a sport where chaos is prominent. And this is perhaps the most Portuguese thing about them: the art of enduring, resisting and, with time, conquering.

Today, the world looks to Almeida as a natural candidate for any stage race. And Portuguese fans are starting to look at Morgado as a name to follow in the classics. Portugal has quietly made its way into the elite. And it looks like it's here to stay.

António Morgado during the reconnaissance of Paris-Roubaix 2025

Almeida and Morgado in numbers

João Almeida in 2025 (until April):

25 days of competition
Wins: 4 (3 stages + overall of the Tour of the Basque Country)
Podiums: 3 (including 2nd overall in the Volta ao Algarve and the Volta a la Comunidad Valenciana)
Days in the leader's jersey: 3
Top-10 in stages/races: 13
Victory in the Points Classification of the Tour of the Basque Country
Mountain classification: 2nd Volta ao Algarve, 3rd Paris-Nice

António Morgado in 2025 (until April):