After a dramatic opening stage of
the Tour de Suisse that turned the race on its head, Joao Almeida, one of the
pre-race favourites, spoke to Cycling Pro Net about how things
unravelled, and where that leaves his chances in the general classification.
“It was a super chaotic day,” he
admitted. “Jan crashed just before the climb, which wasn’t ideal. Then it was
two or three guys going off the front at a time, and eventually they formed a
big group.”
With the break establishing a
sizeable lead, the chase proved ineffective. “At the end of the day I was alone
at the top of the climb, so I couldn’t respond to every move,” he said. “It was
a big loss for us yesterday, but it is what it is. We went full gas after, us
and a few other teams, but for some reason we couldn’t bring the gap down.”
On paper, the rider was the clear
favourite heading into the race, but he acknowledged that those expectations
now feel distant. “Of course it’s a big gap. I think it’s very, very hard to
take that time back,” he admitted. “Statistics don’t win races, and yesterday
is the proof of it. A day like that changes everything.”
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Looking ahead to the GC picture,
he was realistic. “We’ll try our best for sure, but it’s not looking good to
win the race.”
Asked who he sees as the main
threats among the group that gained time, he listed several names. “There are
many guys. Romain himself, Kevin Vauquelin… A corner is at least two minutes
up, and there are others at three minutes too. So yeah, it’s not ideal.”
Turning to the stage ahead, he
predicted a fast day due to tailwinds but wasn’t convinced the breakaway would
succeed. “Personally, I think the break maybe doesn’t arrive, but maybe it
does,” he said. “The sprinters don’t have many chances in this race, so they’ll
really want today.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as 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. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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