"It was a very chaotic day" - João Almeida survives falls to finish 5th on Vuelta stage 2

At the Vuelta a España, João Almeida began as one of the leading contenders for the overall victory. The Portuguese rider, representing UAE Team Emirates – XRG, came through stage two with a strong performance, finishing fifth. Though he conceded a couple of seconds and bonus time to stage winner Jonas Vingegaard, Almeida emphasised the value of staying consistent. The day was marked by nerves and incidents in the peloton, but he kept himself positioned at the front.

Reflecting on the atmosphere of the stage, Almeida explained: "It's a tough day. A bit chaotic, with falls, very nervous people. But we managed to be at the front in a good position and then at the end we gave everything we had and the others were stronger." His words summed up the intensity of racing where placement and timing can mean the difference between gaining or losing valuable time.

A collective crash that even involved Vingegaard added further tension to the day. For Almeida, who was forced out of the Tour de France last month after a fall, making it through safely mattered as much as the result. "One less day where you could lose the Vuelta. We managed to finish safe and sound," he said, aware of how fragile fortunes in a grand tour can be.

Now back on the road, Almeida is eager to settle into the rhythm of three weeks of racing. "It's good to be back at the Vuelta and racing. The first few days are always like that, a shock to the body. But that's it, we'll do our best and try to keep improving," he added, showing focus on steady progress over the coming stages.