INTERVIEW | "I was next to him when he attacked, I didn't even try to respond" - Afonso Eulálio on breaktrough year and learning not to follow Tadej Pogacar

Afonso Eulálio is one of the few Portuguese riders who has made it from the country's big continental scene onto the World Tour, and his first year at the top level was an immense surprise. The Bahrain - Victorious rider was one of many signings of young riders whom the team hoped would see grow, and was perhaps the most successful. He discusses his Top10 at the World Championships, 2026 calendar including a return to the Giro d'Italia, and what he's learnt by following Tadej Pogacar's attacks.

In December 2024, Eulálio sat down with CyclingUpToDate in Altea and was a new face in the team, struggling to get by with his English, and in an environment that had several times more staff than his previous endeavors. "Yes, it ended up being a learning period and this year it will be the same, we will continue to learn, because we don't learn everything. But yes, it ended up being a year with ups and downs, it was a bit irregular, but above all we will try to be a little more regular and look at the schedule a little differently and try to do something different".

His year was very strong, and his potential revealed right from the start as at the Tour Down Under, he sent his calling card to the World Tour by attacking at the Old Willunga Hill. The 24-year old was not a rider who wanted to settle for just being in the peloton, and had the legs to do something about it. A few solid performances saw him earn a spot at the Giro d'Italia, where Antonio Tiberi had podium intentions, and Damiano Caruso ended up ultimately racing to fifth.

Eulálio came through on the final week, storming up the Passo del Mortirolo on stage 17. "I didn't think much about it, I was in the breakaway, I didn't even have the idea that there was that prize of passing on the mountain first because normally it's just the points of the mountain and when I attacked I was more thinking about the stage". As the GC race exploded behind, he stayed up front, but it was not yet the day for a breakthrough victory.

"The team ended up being a little more defensive and I had to wait for the group And that's it, it ended up being that situation of the race". Still his work for Caruso didn't go unnoticed. This was a season that did not end at the Giro, and later in the year he continued to evolve and show himself in an even brighter light.

At the Vuelta a Burgos he finished third on the opening stage, and then he would take on a mixed calendar late in the year, with a few stage-races and classics where he could perform. One of these was the Tour of Britain, where he attacked the queen stage to The Tumble, and finished fourth on the day ultimately whereas Remco Evenepoel took the win. Eulálio was sixth in the GC.

"Yes, of course there was pressure this year but the team kept things open and without giving me pressure, if I got dropped 10 or 100 [kilometers] from the finish it was almost the same. Of course now, after making top 10 in the world [championships] I can't look at things like that anymore. I already look at the calendar in a different way. I want to do something more and improve".

Then at the GP de Québec, he had his first taste of following the World Champion, fruit of his way of racing. "It's the way I like to race, very aggressive. Sometimes I end up not having the opportunity and other times I don't have the legs. But I raced it in a very offensive way also talking about short climbs in Canada in [GP] Québec, where I also raced offensively. Then in Italy, at Tre Valli [Varesine] also racing aggressively, It's a way I like to race".

Both in Québec and at the latter Tre Valli Varesine, he was on the move with the Slovenian. But he learnt from it. "Yeah, but it's always a risk that ends up being expensive It was expensive that day And also in Quebec, I had already been with him and there are always things that end up being more expensive later. I think in both races I end up doing 40th or so because it's a huge effort".

At Mont Kigali, where Tadej Pogacar made his decisive attack towards a second rainbow jersey, he was right there in the heat of the action. But he did not try to follow him. "In the World Championships I ended up not even moving a finger, I was next to him when he attacked, I didn't even try to respond nor increasing the watts. And that's when things ended up going better. You end up taking too big a risk trying to follow that better path".

The race in Kigali can be called his true breakthrough. A race of 6:30 hours, 5000 meters of climbing and the world's very best battling for the rainbow jersey. Eulálio's ninth spot was sandwiched between none other than Juan Ayuso and Tom Pidcock - and his name stands out like no other in that Top10.

"I like very hard races and this is one of them, things ended up going like this. I was in the group, I didn't even think about reaching the top 10, from the beginning of the race things ended up like this I was just enjoying the race, trying to do my best".

It is a result that promises, and the Portuguese may even find himself in a position to thrive on the punchy races, taking into consideration what he's shown. But his priority is still to be a climber: "And as you said, in short climbs. It's something we have to work on this year it's to leave my explosiveness aside since it's so good, not to work on it so much and think about longer climbs. Try to work and see how far I can go I hope I still have something ahead of me".

In 2026, Eulãlio will have opportunities to show himself, both as a potential leader, and domestique for the many quality climbers Bahrain - Victorious have in its roster. "Yes, we are looking at some races. We have some plans for the future of course, but now It's not about leading. This year we look at things in a better way and I want more, but there will also be more pressure from my side".

"Everything is already set. I'm going to start at AlUla [Tour], then UAE [Tour]; then I'm going to do what I like which is Strade [Bianche], [Volta a] Catalunya... Then Liège [Bastogne-Liège] and Giro [d'Italia].