João Almeida "learned from Pogacar to attack without fear" and calls his victory in Itzulia Basque Country "a reaffirmation of my value as a cyclist"

Portuguese cyclist João Almeida, racing for UAE Team Emirates - XRG, brilliantly won the 2025 edition of Itzulia Basque Country, winning the decisive and emotionally-charged 6th and final stage with the yellow jersey on. At the age of 26, the native of A-dos-Francos described this triumph as the most important of his career so far, and a reward for all the choices and sacrifices made in the name of cycling.

"It couldn't have been better at the end of Itzulia," Almeida began, speaking to the newspaper Mundo Deportivo, still with the adrenaline of victory stamped on his face. "Winning the stage and securing the overall was incredible. We were determined to attack, to do a great stage, and to win with the yellow jersey on our bodies was very special. This victory is a reaffirmation of my value as a cyclist and makes sense of all the difficult decisions I had to make," said the Portuguese rider after the podium ceremony.

João Almeida, who has now won 17 races as a professional cyclist, 11 of them on the World Tour, also highlighted the importance of this triumph in the context of his career, stressing that it represents a step forward in his ambitions. "I've already won races in Poland, Luxembourg and now here in the Basque Country, which is a race with a very high level of competition. I have a stage in the Giro, but this victory, because of the toughness of the race and the way I won it, has a very special flavor."

During the final stage, Almeida and Enric Mas rode together for much of the way, in a tactical struggle where cooperation and ambition crossed paths. "I spoke to Enric when we were riding together. He told me he wanted the podium, and I wanted to win the stage and secure the overall. I knew that victories are increasingly difficult in this very competitive peloton, so I pushed the pace, I wanted to leave everything on the road."

The victory was dedicated to his family, his girlfriend and his team. "My family have always supported me, even when, at 18, I still didn't know if I was going to study or dedicate myself to cycling. I started late, it's true. I was torn between science and sport. I always liked soccer and swimming, but cycling eventually won my heart. When I was 19, I decided to take a chance. It wasn't easy, but today I feel I made the right decision."

Almeida doesn't hide the fact that he has learned a lot at UAE Team Emirates, where he shares a team with stars like Tadej Pogacar. "I learned from Pogacar to attack without fear. He's an example on and off the road. At UAE the atmosphere is fantastic, we're all treated with respect and given opportunities. Matxín knows how to manage that balance very well. This victory will certainly open more doors for me within the team."

With this success, João Almeida's expectations are once again growing. Asked about his next goals, he didn't hesitate: "Winning a grand tour is very difficult, but I've been building a good career. I've had ups and downs, a few injuries, covid, but I'm still dreaming big. I want to keep developing and, of course, my big ambition is to win one of the three grand tours. That's what I'm working towards every day."