"It brought us a little closer": João Almeida reveals his "grow some balls" comment towards Pidcock was the beginning of a friendship

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]."

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 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."

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."