“I was lucky to avoid the crash" - João Almeida narrowly avoids disaster but ends stage 11 in third position at the Giro d'Italia

Following the departure of Tao Geoghegan Hart after a crash, João Almeida has moved up to third in the general classification at the Giro d'Italia. Having narrowly avoided the crash himself however, Almeida is counting his blessings.

“I was lucky to avoid the crash. It was pretty bad. I’m really sorry that Tao is out,” Almeida said in a post-stage interview taken immediately following Wednesday’s stage. “Roglič and Thomas crashed too. I think Tao was one of the stronger riders. I was expecting a lot from him. It’s sad, the race is poorer without him. I just hope to make it to the finale."

Although Almeida has barely been mentioned at the front of the race so far this year, his consistency has kept him in contention. Just 22 seconds behind the overall leader Geraint Thomas, the UAE Team Emirates leader is without a doubt a possible Maglia Rosa candidate by the time the race reaches Rome. At this particular Giro d'Italia though, it's as much about surviving as it is thriving.

“With COVID-19, anything can happen. It took me out last year. But let’s stay positive, in a good way, of course, and try to bring it home. I believe in myself, and I think I’ve been developing good," says the Portuguese. “I’ve got some tough rivals, but I always believe I can maybe win it. If you don’t believe it, you don't achieve it, right? My goal is the podium. If it's the first step, great, if it's the third, then great too.”