“If everyone had fully committed, maybe we could have caught him” – João Almeida rues lack of help from Tiberi as Evenepoel solos to GC control at Valenciana

João Almeida did not dispute the strength of the winner, but he was clear that Stage 4 of the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana turned on what happened behind the race leader as much as what happened in front.

After Remco Evenepoel attacked on the steep slopes of Cumbre del Sol and rode solo to victory, Almeida found himself in a reduced chase group that never fully committed to bringing the Belgian back. In Almeida’s view, that hesitation proved decisive.

“If everyone had fully committed, maybe we could have caught him,” Almeida said after the finish in conversation with Cycling Pro Net.

Evenepoel’s attack came with just under 13 kilometres remaining, immediately splitting the group of favourites and forcing those behind into damage control. Almeida was among the strongest of the chasers and would go on to finish second on the stage, but the gap to the front stabilised rather than shrank.

According to Almeida, the issue was not belief but cooperation. “When you are in a small group you always still have some hope,” he said. “But against the world champion in the time trial it was always going to be complicated.”

Almeida then explained why that hope never turned into a fully organised pursuit, singling out Antonio Tiberi for riding conservatively in the decisive phase. “Antonio was also looking to save his legs,” Almeida said. “That’s cycling.”

Despite the frustration, Almeida was careful to acknowledge Evenepoel’s performance and his own effort on a stage that was ridden at relentless intensity from the opening climbs. “It was a fast day, very hard from the start,” he said. “I did my best, but Remco was just stronger today.”

The Portuguese rider also noted that the explosive nature of the decisive climb did not play perfectly to his strengths. “If it had been a bit longer, I think it would have suited me better,” he said. “But it is what it is. I think I rode pretty well and we did a good job as a team.”

While Almeida limited his losses better than most, the lack of cohesion behind Evenepoel allowed the race leader to ride all the way through the finish, maximising his advantage and reshaping the general classification in one move.

Stage 4 marked the moment the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana finally broke open. For Almeida, the result left a sense of what might have been, not because the winner was unbeatable, but because the chance to respond never fully materialised. “That’s cycling,” he said.