João Almeida and the benefit of racing with Pogacar: "I don't think I can beat Tadej right now. So, I'd rather finish third or fourth in a race, being part of his history"

João Almeida is one of the best stage-racers of this generation and in 2025 he has won a lot and likely had the best season of his career. Despite this, he has renewed his contract with UAE Team Emirates - XRG for another set of years as he feels he is in the right place to perform, and that outside of it he wouldn't be doing better with the extra freedom.

"Changing teams to get more space? Racing alongside Tadej Pogačar is wonderful," Almeida said in words to Sigma Sports. "You feel part of something special. It's like a family. And, personally, I think it's great for me to be a part of it".

Almeida signed with the Emirati team in 2022 and has gotten freedom to perform everywhere except the Tour de France. He now has podiums and stage wins to his name at both Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España, whilst having won many top stage-races throughout the years. In 2025 alone: Itzulia Basque Country, Tour de Romandie and Tour de Suisse. But the biggest reason why he does not want to leave is because he believes he already is achieving the best possible outcome.

"Plus, I don't think I can beat Tadej right now. So, I'd rather finish third or fourth in a race, being part of his history of victories, than try to get a result for another team and still finish third or fourth," he justifies. "That's how I see it."

Certainly it is a valid point, and with Almeida already finishing fourth at the 2024 Tour, it is quite evident that his personal ambitions aren't necessarily hampered even at the Tour. He has done this with his trademark climbing performances, where pacing is king.

"In the end, it's science, science applied to sport. With the various tests we do, combined with the sensations you get in those moments, you can know exactly how many watts you can push on the pedals for a given period of time," he answers when asked about his way of climbing.

"I could even follow those attacks straight away, but I don't because I don't want to, since I know those attacking riders will collapse two kilometers later. In my mind, sometimes in those moments I say to myself, 'I'll catch you, I'm pretty sure I'll catch you'..."

"Then of course, if we're talking about Pogacar, Vingegaard, or Evenepoel, I wouldn't even try something like that. But in other cases, I know I can catch the attacker. So, you could say I save my attack for later." He has used this effectively to success, but the key point is that he simply has the ability to put out the power when it matters.

As a top climber managing the weight during the season is always key, specially for a rider who's been performing near the top since early February. But Almeida has been very consistent all throughout the year impressively.

“Yeah, exactly. I mean, personally, I, I do not like to feel hungry, especially all the time. So of course I need to take my diet serious. But at the same time, I mean, it is not the end of the world if you are a few grams above your weight, right?” But what he shares is that he is not always at the 'ideal' race weight, and it does not significantly hamper his performance.

“I went to Vuelta with, like, kilo, kilo and a half above my weight and I still managed to win on Angliru, so I think it is a good example," he adds. "One of the steepest climbs where the weight is super important. But if you do not have power, you are not gonna move forward, so it is a good example.”