João Almeida on UAE's week at Valenciana: "We missed out on a stage victory but we can be proud of our collective work"

João Almeida returned to the podium at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana after a week defined by consistency and reliability. The Portuguese rider handled the fifth and final stage without issues, staying safely in the peloton to secure second overall, only behind Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe).

Almeida had already laid down his marker in Saturday’s queen stage to Teulada, where he shadowed the Belgian on a day of heavy climbing. That ride cemented his second place in the general classification, matching his result from last year’s edition of the Valencian race.

The podium underlines the continuity of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader, who in 2025 used this race as the launchpad for the best season of his career, with victories at the Itzulia Basque Country, the Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse. The start of 2026 shows a similar competitive level, placing him once again among the most consistent riders for the overall classifications.

In the final stage, the Portuguese tried to animate the race in the closing kilometers by exploiting crosswinds. UAE Team Emirates-XRG managed to split the peloton at times, although Evenepoel stayed perfectly positioned, neutralizing any move that might threaten the GC. Even so, the Emirati squad brought urgency to the day, with young Adrià Pericas particularly active.

At just 19, Pericas stepped up this winter from the Gen Z team to the WorldTour and has opened the season with clear signs of progress. At the recent Trofeo Serra Tramuntana he spent nearly 70 kilometres in the break and was one of the few able to follow Evenepoel’s acceleration when the Belgian bridged to the front.

In the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, the Spaniard balanced team duties with the chance to test himself on the decisive stage. The fifth day featured the ascent of the Port del Garbí, 5.1 kilometres at 7.1%, where the day’s break formed. Pericas jumped into the front group at a key moment and strung together several attacks that opened a gap to the peloton.

Inside the final 20 kilometers he shouldered much of the workload in the lead, trying to carry the move to the line. The effort was enough for the escapees to contest the stage win, with the bunch only closing in over the final meters. More a climber than a sprinter, Pericas launched his kick and crossed the line in fourth, a notable result in his first top-level stage race.

Overall victory at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana went to Remco Evenepoel, who justified his favourite status across the five days. UAE Team Emirates-XRG finished the race with two riders in the top five overall, as Brandon McNulty took fifth.

The team had shown attacking intent earlier in the week, especially on stage 3, where Florian Vermeersch delivered a standout performance. The Belgian attacked on the final descent, joined a late move that held to the line, and took third, his best result of the season so far.

After the race, João Almeida gave a positive assessment of this first competitive block of the year in comments released by the team’s website: “It was the first week of racing this season and it was very good. The goal was, of course, to fight for the overall win and see how the legs responded in race conditions. I think it was a good week for the team; we missed out on a stage victory, but we can be proud of our collective work. Now this gives me good motivation for the next races, especially the Volta ao Algarve.”