INTERVIEW | Daniel Lima joins the Israel - Premier Tech first team at Gran Camino 2025: "I'm going to play my part"

Daniel Lima is one of the most promising Portuguese cyclists of the new generation and is now in his third year with the Israel - Premier Tech development team, one of the great training projects in cycling today that has introduced the world to cyclists such as Tour de France top ten finisher Derek Gee, the always combative Grand Tour rider Marco Frigo, plus the likes of Mason Hollyman, Francisco Penuela and, of course, the winner of the 2024 Tour de l'Avenir - Joseph Blackmore.

Daniel Lima is on Portuguese soil today, at the Gran Camino for the first time, representing Israel - Premier Tech's main team. It's worth pointing out that although Daniel is a rider on the development team, he still has the chance to join the main team in races like the Gran Camino because they're not World Tour races, which gives the 20-year-old from Faro a great opportunity to show his worth in what is his last year of contract with the Israeli team and he spoke to our Portuguese sister channel Ciclismoatual ahead of the race getting underway.

Israel - Premier Tech didn't come to the Gran Camino just to be there, quite the opposite. The team is expected to be a protagonist in the race, and even Daniel himself could have his moment in the spotlight. When asked about the assumed favouritism of riders like Jakob Fuglsang and Derek Gee and the possibility that he himself might have to spend a lot of time at the front of the peloton working for the leaders, the Portuguese didn't shy away: "Yes (they're favourites), and I'm ready (to work) and I'll do my best."

Regarding the race, he also reveals the special flavour of racing 'at home': "Yes, it's the first time I'm racing here, I'm happy to be here and I'm going to do my best. It's going to be a different job with the team, I don't have as much pressure. I know I'm going to work hard and I'm going to play my part," he assesses.

Amid the nervousness of the interview, we also managed to find out a little about Daniel's plans for the season: "I'm going to the Tour of the Alentejo, then the Ardennes Circuit and Liége (under-23)". And about possibly being called up again by the main Israeli team for races like this "it's a question of seeing how it goes day by day. Of course, if it goes well I want to be part of the (main) team and I'll never say no, but we'll see."