"It brought us a little closer": João Almeida reveals his "grow some balls" comment towards Pidcock was the beginning of a friendship
Cycling
João Almeida has built a remarkable career and established himself as one of the rare UAE Team Emirates - XRG riders with the freedom to explore his own opportunities. Usually placed at the service of Tadej Pogacar, the Portuguese rider was able to take on personal ambitions at the 2025 Vuelta a Espana, where he had an intense moment with Tom Pidcock.
The episode took place on the 9th day of the race, in a stage that wasn't expected to be particularly complicated, but whose uneven final climb generated a lot of tension among the general classification contenders. In a scenario where little spectacle was anticipated, Jonas Vingegaard launched a determined attack on the ascent, forcing Almeida and Pidcock to organize the chase.
The attempt to respond was far from smooth. While the Brit showed he was close to the limit, the Portuguese insisted on keeping pace with the Dane, provoking an exchange of words between the two. The question that then arose was inevitable: what did Almeida say to Pidcock at that moment?
Pidcock recounted the episode with humor: "He told me to grow some balls," the Q36.5 rider laughed. "I said: if you slow down a bit, I can keep up with you. I thought Almeida's wheel was perfect for trying to get to Vingegaard. Chapeau to him: I couldn't help much, he shouted at me, but he's like a tractor. In that flatter area and especially in the last kilometer, it was impressive. All I could do was pass him [at the finish]."
Almeida: "I apologized afterwards. Maybe it brought us closer"
Months later, in a conversation with Matt Stephens, Almeida revisited the moment. "I don't know if I said that exactly, but it was close," he said, laughing at Pidcock's version. The Portuguese admitted that he clearly felt the Briton was on the edge, but didn't want to waste the opportunity to respond to Vingegaard's attack.
"I thought: maybe I should push a bit harder. But he had nothing left in the tank. I felt that, but we can always try." Even so, he emphasizes that the atmosphere wasn't tense. "I apologized afterwards and he said everything was fine. I don't think it was a big deal, but I recognize that it wasn't the best way to put it. In the end, it brought us a little closer together."
Almeida and Vingegaard mano a mano
Almeida even says that the confrontation ended up creating a bond between them. "Maybe it was the start of a little relationship. It was a good moment," he added, recalling the scenario of rain, cold and maximum effort on that final climb, chasing Vingegaard: "It was one of those days... and all I could think was: Tom, I really need your help now."
Before the stage, there were no expectations. "We were on the bus and they said it wasn't a difficult climb, that nothing would happen. It was right there that they attacked hard. I thought that if I pushed hard, I'd blow up. It was one of those moments when you don't know what to do."
Almeida's view of Pogacar: "If you're alone, it gets harder..."
Tadej Pogacar still remains the main star of UAE, despite Almeida's feats. The Slovenian seems virtually unbeatable, and Almeida admits that it won't be easy for anyone to come on top of his teammate.
"If it's a very hard stage, you don't stand a chance. Don't even think about it. Save your energy and do your best, because it's going to hurt." Even so, he believes that Pogacar is not invincible in all scenarios.
"If it's a complicated stage, I think it's possible. With a good team, you might be able to put him in a more difficult position." To illustrate, he recalls the 2022 Tour, when Jumbo-Visma managed to dismantle the Slovenian tactically. "If he's alone, two against one or three against one, it becomes more difficult for him."
It's a moment the duo have already discussed throughly together, taking a lesson from it. "I've told him before, but I think he rode very badly that day. He could have won, or at least finished with a bigger lead. I think he learned a lot from that. Nobody knows everything."
But he nevertheless reminds that trying to beat Pogacar head-to-head would be a daring challenge, seeing how the light-weight climber can put even the best cobblers into trouble at spring Monuments.
"If you look at Paris-Roubaix or the Tour of Flanders... even Van der Poel has a hard time beating him on that terrain. Many cyclists who specialize in cobbles have to accept that. It doesn't make much sense, but it's reality. He's simply the strongest."
Read also
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
claps 11visitors 5
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
- this is just stupid. you already have 23%, gravel is over the topabstractengineer03-11-2026
- There was once a time when Lance was supremely popular and he used his artificial "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" persona to lead his mob in going after Greg. There was no one Lance did not abuse in protecting his phony hero image. Lance promoted himself as a divine megastar and he let down millions of cancer victims and gullible devotees who clung far too long to the charade. Lance is the epitome of a corrupt person and because of his power, many around him, including business enterprises, succumbed to the evil. All who got in Armstrong's way were mercilessly attacked by him and his minions. This remarkably continues today with a new generation. LeMond was a number one enemy and paid a huge price. Who do you think slandered who?Yepperoni03-11-2026
- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment