INTERVIEW | João Almeida on Vuelta a Espana ambitions, Portugal's golden era and Juan Ayuso: "if he was here he would have a great race and it would always be a card to use"

João Almeida is starting the Vuelta a España as one of the main favourites but also as the crowd favourite. In Lisbon he was received with roar this Thursday afternoon, and with 24 hours left for the race to start the UAE Team Emirates rider has talked about several of the topics that are most relevant ahead of the race.

Almeida starred in a press conference together with Adam Yates. The duo dominated the Tour de Suisse and rode to fourth and sixth at the Tour de France in support of Tadej Pogacar. But he is not fixated on a particular stage in this race where it can be won or lost. "The heat can play a part of it as well and also maybe breakaway riders. The bunch always choses if it wants to go for the stage or not. I think there's only really one flat stage, it's going to be a hard Vuelta and anything can happen," he shares with CyclingUpToDate.

Almeida has ridden his past two Grand Tours at a very high level and seems to be evolving, in a team that grows ever stronger. Not only the duo of leaders but UAE also make it to the Vuelta with Isaac Del Toro, Brandon McNulty, Jay Vine, Pavel Sivakov and Marc Soler - all extremely talented climbers. But a lot of the focus, naturally, was on the first time in his career racing a Grand Tour stage in his home country of Portugal - which is currently in a golden age of cycling with the likes of Almeida and Morgado following the tracks of Rui Costa in terms of success and expectations; and with the gold medal in the Madison Track event by Iuri Leitão and Rui Oliveira (Portugal's first ever gold medal at the Olympic Games outside of athletics".

"I think it's really good for cycling in Portugal you know. I think it's a good opportunity to bring more investment and good people to the sport. It might be the beginning of something good and try to promote as much as we can cycling in Portugal and go to the next level," he tells. "I'm super happy for them personally, I'm happy for them personally I know Iuri (a teammate back in the junior ranks, ed.) and he's a really good guy like Rui and they deserve the gold medal a lot".

Can Almeida be the next to achieve a medal? He doesn't shrug that off... "I think so, I'll try to go for it, but I think a gold medal in the Olympics is what every athlete wants. Cycling may be a bit different with the Tour de France and all these races but any sportsman wants to achieve a gold medal in the Olympics".

But in the first days of the Vuelta, expect the 26-year old to be the most popular rider in the start and finish of every stage, alongside being the most chanted name on the side of the road. "The support of the Portuguese is always an extra motivation. All the flags along the road and people shouting my name always gives me an extra motivation. Feeling that support from the Portuguese is always a special support and I was clearly expecting that support. The support they give me is incredible and I am very grateful".

Lastly, Juan Ayuso was brought up. A lot has been said of the young Spaniard, who pulled out of the Tour de France after testing positive for Covid-19 and has not been brought to the Vuelta. There were comments from team riders and staff that hinted at the relationship not being completely healthy, but Almeida doesn't talk of any problem with his teammate:

"I think we have a very strong team, Juan is clearly a very strong rider, who would also be very good on the team; unfortunately he couldn't be there because he had Covid during the Tour, recovery and the Olympic Games, he probably wasn't able to prepare in the best way but I think if he was here. We will be here without him but I think if he was here he would have a great race and it would always be a card to use. Who knows, next year he will be here," he concluded.