"I will be at the Tour to support Tadej, and I will do so unconditionally" - João Almeida ready to sacrifice himself in Pogacar's service

After playing a starring role in support of Tadej Pogacar at the 2024 Tour de France, securing a 4th placed finish overall in his own right, João Almeida is again set to be the key super-domestique for the UAE Team Emirates leader in 2025.

“I would say that my best performance was at the Tour de Suisse. Then I was a bit sick and didn’t feel 100% at the Tour de France, but I was still quite well," the 26-year-old Portuguese reflects of the season just been in comments to radsport-news.com. "Even if I will be at the Tour (in 2025 ed.) to support Tadej, and I will do so unconditionally, it can still be positive for me.”

The Grand Tour Almeida has had the most success so far in his career is probably the Giro d'Italia. The Portuguese wore the Maglia Rosa for 15 days in 2020, plus in 2023 he finished on the podium and took his first Grand Tour stage victory in Italy. In 2025 though, UAE Team Emirates have confirmed both Adam Yates and Juan Ayuso for the Italian Grand Tour, with Almeida focusing on his role in support of Pogacar at the Tour de France.

“Of course I thought about the Giro, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I would prefer to ride the Tour again," he explains thoughtfully. "I have already done the Giro and the Vuelta many times, so I would prefer to do the Tour a second time, in my best form, and then I will see what I can achieve.”

This season, Almeida doubled up the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana so potentially, a similar programme could still arise in 2025, depending on his form and levels at the time of the Spanish Grand Tour.