"João Almeida can compete mano a mano with Jonas Vingegaard" - UAE leader backed for Giro d'Italia glory by former Tour de France winner

Óscar Pereiro is convinced that João Almeida has what it takes to contend for the next Giro d’Italia right up to the final day.

The former Spanish cyclist, winner of the 2006 Tour de France, sees the Portuguese rider on a very high level and even believes that the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader has the tools to face Jonas Vingegaard on equal terms.

Speaking to the Lusa news agency during O Gran Camiño, the race for which he serves as ambassador, Pereiro did not hesitate to place Almeida among the main contenders for the general classification of the Italian race. For the Galician, the Dane naturally stands out as one of the peloton’s biggest references, but that does not diminish the Portuguese rider’s chances.

“It’s a great opportunity he has, to go up against a great rider like Vingegaard who, in recent years, with the exception of Tadej Pogacar, I think is the only cyclist above the rest,” he said.

In Pereiro’s assessment, João Almeida deserves the maximum rating among the favorites for the Maglia Rosa. The former pro recalled that it was precisely at the Giro that the Portuguese rider broke into the spotlight and, for the first time, showed he could fight among the best Grand Tour specialists.

“I give Almeida five stars on the favorites scale, just like Jonas Vingegaard. First, because he knows the race; it was where he really made a name for himself,” he began by explaining.

In 2020, Almeida surprised the international peloton by wearing the leader’s jersey for fifteen days at the Giro d’Italia, finishing that edition in a meritorious fourth place. Since then, he has established himself as one of the most consistent names in three-week races, accumulating notable results and greater competitive maturity.

Pereiro believes the profile of the Italian race can once again favour the Portuguese rider, especially due to the accumulated hardness and the intelligent way he manages his efforts over three weeks. “For me, in terms of the route, the Giro d’Italia is the toughest of the three Grand Tours. He knows how to pace himself; he’s a rider who never blows up, he knows how far he can go. I place him in the group of favorites,” he reiterated.

The Spaniard, who throughout his career rode for teams such as Phonak, Caisse d’Epargne, and Astana, believes that Almeida can fight the race directly with Vingegaard, the rival who beat him at the 2025 Vuelta a España. Even so, he refuses to put the Portuguese rider on a lower tier from the start. “Obviously, I think everyone puts Vingegaard as the big favourite, but I don’t rule out that Almeida can compete mano a mano with him,” he added.

The 2026 edition of the Giro d’Italia will take place between May 8 and 31, starting in Nessebar, Bulgaria, and finishing in Rome. The rematch between the two protagonists promises to be one of the season’s major talking points.

For Pereiro, Almeida’s consistency at the highest level justifies the belief that the Portuguese rider will eventually win a Grand Tour. The former Tour de France winner feels that the results already achieved deserve, at this point, an even greater reward. “He should already have a Grand Tour on his palmares. For various reasons, he hasn’t won yet, but I have no doubt he’ll be a cyclist who retires with a Grand Tour on his palmarès,” he stated.

Beyond the results, Pereiro highlighted the competitive profile of the rider from A-dos-Francos, praising his composure and the way he reads every moment of a race. “He’s a very consistent, very smart rider, who is extracting 100% of what his body can give. He races with tremendous intelligence and a cool head. He knows when he can and when he can’t; he never gets nervous,” he emphasized.

In 2025, João Almeida enjoyed one of the most solid seasons of his career, becoming the first cyclist to win the Tour of the Basque Country, the Tour de Romandie, and the Tour de Suisse in the same year. He also added victory on Alto de l’Angliru, one of the most iconic climbs of the Vuelta a España.

For Pereiro, that competitive growth stems not only from physical condition, but also from the tactical reading the Portuguese rider displays in races. “Tactically, he also strikes me as a very intelligent rider and, moreover, he knows exactly where he needs to be at every moment. That’s the main thing. In any sport, but particularly in cycling, the sooner you know how far you can go, the sooner you can make the most of your profession,” he concluded.

Just a few months from the start of the Giro d’Italia, João Almeida’s name thus re-emerges among the top contenders. And when that praise comes from a former Tour de France winner, it inevitably carries extra weight.