"Everything is going wonderfully": Joao Almeida radiates optimism ahead of new season

João Almeida is preparing to take his first steps towards the 2026 season next week, when he joins UAE Team Emirates - XRG for a pre-season training camp in southern Spain. The training camp will mark the official start of the Emirates team's work for the new year, in a decisive moment of physical assessment, adaptation to the training program and definition of routines for what is expected to be a demanding season.

Our colleagues from CiclismoAtual will be present at this training camp and will be following the team's preparation process closely, paying special attention to the Portuguese rider, who is once again one of the main references in the UAE Team Emirates - XRG sports project. For João Almeida, this initial phase will be decisive in laying the foundations for next season, after a year marked by regularity at the highest level in the main races on the international calendar.

Opening his season early in 2025, João Almeida was already one of the main protagonists of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and later the home race; Volta ao Algarve, where he finished second in the general classification, only beaten by Visma's Jonas Vingegaard.

It was a duel that continued throughout the season, with both men crossing paths again in the fight for victory in the Vuelta a Espana, in a clash that reinforced the Portuguese rider's status among the elite of general classification contenders.

While he waits for his competitive calendar for 2026 to be made official, João Almeida attended the Velo d'Or gala, where Tadej Pogacar was honored as the best rider of the season. On the sidelines of the event, the racer from A-dos-Francos spoke privately about his immediate plans, making it clear that he is still waiting for the team's final communication about his calendar.

"I don't know the calendar yet, but I suppose I'll do the Volta ao Algarve for sure. I think I'll also do the Figueira Classic. That's all for now," said João Almeida after the ceremony.

The Portuguese rider's presence at the two biggest races in the country is practically guaranteed, given the importance of the Volta ao Algarve holds as one of the opening races of the European calendar. For many, not just Almeida, it'll be an excellent opportunity to see where they match up against their rivals for the rest of they year.

The preparation for new season has been going well so far, the Portuguese confided: "The feelings are good. Obviously we're still at a preliminary stage. But it's already counting as a season for us, it's going well, without any bad luck, without getting sick, without any crashes. So everything is going wonderfully."