"It will still take a while to sink in" - Afonso Eulálio on breakthrough Giro d'Italia and possible clash with Pogacar in June

Afonso Eulálio returned to Portugal this Monday with a subtle smile, but fully aware that he has just signed off one of the biggest results in Portuguese cycling in recent years. The Bahrain - Victorious rider landed at Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, in Porto, a day after finishing the Giro d’Italia in an impressive sixth place overall and also winning the Young Rider’s Jersey.

Despite the scale of what he achieved on his debut as an improvised leader in a Grand Tour, the 24-year-old appeared calm and still in the process of taking in everything he experienced on Italian roads.

“I feel good. Above all, now I want to enjoy the moment, I want to rest a bit and that’s it. I think it will still take a while to sink in. I know I did something good, but I think it’ll still take a while to sink in,” confessed the young rider from Figueira da Foz, in a conversation with Jornal de Noticias.

Afonso Eulálio’s performance stood out even more given the context. The Portuguese rider ended up taking on unexpected responsibilities within Bahrain - Victorious after the team lost one of its key general classification references, Santiago Buitrago, still in an early phase of the race.

Without the initial pressure to fight for the top spots, the Portuguese took the race lead after joining a breakaway with Igor Arrieta of UAE Team Emirates - XRG on stage 5, and then grew stage by stage, proving consistent in the mountains and showing recovery ability and tactical maturity against some of the best climbers in the international peloton.

“I’ve always worked well, I’ll keep working, and things will end up happening naturally. We ended up losing my team leader and, well, I ended up getting my opportunity. Things turned out that way and, well, I gave it my best,” he explained.

The final result turned the young Portuguese into one of the major revelations of this Giro d’Italia, in a race where several riders considered contenders for strong overall finishes over the three weeks ended up falling short.

Despite a steady display in the high Italian mountains and the ability he showed in a three-week race, Afonso Eulálio still doesn’t fully see himself as a rider geared toward Grand Tours.

Asked about his future and the possibility of definitively targeting general classifications in the most important races on the calendar, the Portuguese rider was cautious and admitted he still feels particularly drawn to the classics.

“I don’t know. I like the classics quite a bit more,” he admitted, before leaving the door open to gradual evolution within the Bahrain structure.

“Of course we’ll keep working within the team, maybe for one-week races, keep working as well. But above all, it’s about continuing to work in general and seeing what we can do in the future,” he said.

With sixth place at the Giro and the Young Rider’s Jersey, expectations around the Portuguese cyclist increased substantially within the international peloton. He himself acknowledges that his internal status could change in the coming months.

“I think now the team will ask for more and more. But we’ll see. For now I hope they give me a bit of rest and then we’ll prepare for the second half of the year,” he noted.

After three extremely demanding weeks in Italy, Eulálio now intends to recharge before deciding on his calendar for the remainder of the season.

Despite the clear need for rest, the young rider from Figueira da Foz could return to competition soon. The Tour de Suisse is a strong possibility for June, although there is still no official confirmation.

“Probably in two weeks at the Tour de Suisse, but it’s not certain yet. We’ll see if I rest and then better prepare the second half of the season, or if I do Switzerland,” he concluded.

If the team takes Eulálio to Switzerland, he will race against another big name in the peloton: Tadej Pogacar, who, as is known, will be present at the Swiss race, which will also feature other confirmed stars such as Primoz Roglic and Tom Pidcock.

Regardless of the decision the team may take, Afonso Eulálio’s name emerged definitively strengthened from this Giro d’Italia. At 24, the Portuguese rider has stepped up to a new level and left the impression that the national cycling scene may have found another rider capable of contesting general classifications at the highest level.