“I want to improve on last year’s second place”: Joao Almeida optimistic on his Vuelta chances despite a difficult season so far

Joao Almeida has reiterated that the Vuelta a España remains his main objective for the second half of the season, despite a challenging return to racing at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The Portuguese rider, who had been sidelined for more than two months by illness, abandoned the race before stage seven, but says his recovery is progressing and remains confident about returning to his best level later in the year.

Almeida arrived at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes seeking race rhythm after a spring disrupted by a virus that first affected him in March. The illness forced him to skip the Giro d’Italia.

“We found many abnormalities in my blood tests,” Almeida explained. “The team carried out several examinations, but we never fully understood what was happening. At first, I tried to continue training to see how the situation evolved, but in the end I had to stop. That’s how it went.”

His results in France reflected the lack of racing and training. Almeida sat well down the general classification and lost so much time on the first mountain stage before UAE Team Emirates-XRG announced that he would leave the race early to continue his preparation at home.

“It was hard, as expected for my return. I knew my physical condition was not at its best. But the good thing is that I feel good on the bike now. I’m only missing condition. I feel that I’m recovering well day after day and that’s a very positive sign.”

The 27-year-old admitted there had been clear indications that something was wrong before the diagnosis was made. “For several days I felt well below my normal level. I couldn’t reach my usual numbers and I realised something wasn’t right. Fortunately, we eventually identified the problem and followed the appropriate treatment.”

Although Almeida’s name was rumoured as a possible option for the Tour de France after missing the Giro d’Italia, his withdrawal from the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes appears to have reduced those chances. Before Almeida left the race, UAE Team Emirates-XRG general manager Mauro Gianetti had already indicated that the Portuguese rider was not expected to be ready for July.

“Matxin will decide who participates in the Tour. The team is practically selected. The only uncertainty could be Almeida. He has not recovered well from a virus, so we do not expect to see him in July. His recovery is the first priority. The rest of the team is in good shape.”

Instead, Almeida expects to follow the schedule originally planned before his illness. “The calendar for the second part of my season should remain the same as we originally planned. So San Sebastián, Burgos and the Vuelta. I will also take part in the World Championships,” Almeida said.

Despite the setbacks of recent months, he remains optimistic about the future. “The most important thing was to feel good again. Now I feel that I’m on the right path and I hope to return to my best level as soon as possible. My form is not at its best yet. I need more training and better preparation. Overall, I feel good. I look to the future with confidence and I’m already thinking about the big objectives. I rode a pretty good team time trial, so in the end I was very satisfied.”

Having finished second at last year’s Vuelta a España, Almeida is setting his sights even higher for 2026. “Yes, winning the Vuelta is the objective and I think it is possible. I would like to improve on last year’s second place. Finishing third or in the top five no longer gives me satisfaction.”