"I expected him to win, but he won with a bigger margin than I thought" - João Almeida happy with third but surprised with Evenepoel dominance
Cycling
Joao Almeida was the best of the mortals in the opening time trial of the Giro d'Italia, being only beaten by Remco Evenepoel and Filippo Ganna at the finish line. The Portuguese has confirmed with this third place that he is one of the great favorites to finish on the final podium and perhaps fight for the victory.
He acknowledged after the race that his performance was above what he expected: "A little above what I expected, I know my abilities but I'm a little surprised with the time I did, but it confirms the work that the team is doing, we are very happy".
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About Remco Evenepoel, the Portuguese UAE Team Emirates rider said he expected him to take the win, but not with such a big gap to the rest. In any case, he was very satisfied with the work of his team. The Portuguese was in the hot seat until his teammate dethroned him, and finished 29 seconds down on the day.
"I expected him to win, but he won with a bigger margin than I thought. Great job, he deserves it. It is important to start with a good feeling, to make a good start, I think we are in a good position," Almeida, who will wear the young rider's jersey tomorrow, concluded.
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- for what?frieders311-11-2026
- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
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- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
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- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
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👍 Thumbs up from @JooAlmeida98 . #Giro #WeAreUAE
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