"He’s going to be a deadly weapon for Pogacar" - João Almeida tipped to be decisive factor in Maillot Jaune battle at 2025 Tour de France

João Almeida is showing some strong legs this week at the 2025 Tour de Suisse. Although a disastrous opening stage sees the Portuguese star somewhat off the pace in terms of the general classification at the halfway mark, a stunning stage 4 solo victory has proven there is plenty in the tank for the UAE Team Emirates - XRG star.

According to Almeida's teammate in Switzerland, Julius Johansen, the Portuguese could be coming into form just in time to provide some key assistance to Tadej Pogacar at the 2025 Tour de France. “You could see yesterday (Wednesday) that he’s absolutely ready," Johansen explained with a smile to TV2 from the start line of stage 5. "He’s going to be a deadly weapon for Pogacar, so it’ll be exciting to watch.”

Whilst Almeida has been touted as a potential Grand Tour winner in his own right, Johansen feels there is arguably no one better in the super domestique role than the 26-year-old. “He’s a rider who’s really good at slipping into the support role. He’s probably one of the most loyal riders you’ll find," explains the Dane, who is in his first season with UAE Team Emirates - XRG. "That’s also why he gets opportunities to ride as team leader in races like this.”

Showing just how strong his form is, en route to taking the solo stage 4 win on Wednesday, Almeida actually broke the climbing record for the Splügenpass in the process. The UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader attacked on the steepest part of the climb and was clearly a level above his rivals, producing 6.42W/ kg, spending 23:10m at high altitude, the equivalent of 6.89W/ kg adjusted for sea level. As mentioned, after the top, Almeida flew down the descent, losing no time to the chasers, then raised his arms and won the day's stage.