"I think it was my worst day ever on the bike" - Joao Almeida loses nearly seven minutes on nightmare stage at the Vuelta a Espana
Cycling
It's fair to say, things did not go to plan for Joao Almeida on stage 13 of the 2023 Vuelta a Espana. Sadly for the Portuguese, he struggles throughout the day, losing nearly seven minutes and surely falling out of Red Jersey contention.
"I had a bad day, actually I didn't feel well the whole time," laments the UAE Team Emirates rider in his post-stage interview. "I kept fighting, but it is what it is. That's how it goes sometimes in cycling. What exactly was it? I have pain all over my body, like I have the flu. That's frustrating, because things were going in the right direction. Again: it is what it is."
Almeida wasn't the only one put into difficulty on the queen stage of the race as Jumbo-Visma completely and utterly dominated. Jonas Vingegaard, Sepp Kuss and Primoz Roglic finishing one-two-three on the stage and now complete the podium. For Almeida though, the whole stage was a struggle.
"I don't know how I kept going, I think it's because of the team. They guided me very well and I didn't want to just throw everything away," he assesses. "I continued to suffer, I think it was my worst day ever on the bike. However, those moments make you as a rider, so ultimately you make the difference."
"I turned off my radio," Almeida admits, concluding with a mention of his teammates Marc Soler and Juan Ayuso who now sit 6th and 4th in the GC. "Nothing has been lost, but nothing has been gained either. We have to keep fighting, as an individual I will try to get the most out of it for the other boys. We are not aiming for third or fourth place, we are doing everything we can to win as a team."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
#LaVuelta23 It's a battling ride from @juann_ayuso to take 4th place atop Col du Tourmalet. That moves him up to 4th overall.👏 🤍 He takes the white jersey as the best young rider. #UAETeamEmirates #WeAreUAE
Write a comment