João Almeida reveals Jay Vine will target Giro, Portuguese in pursuit of pink: "The time trials will make the difference"

UAE Team Emirates have reinforced their lineup intensely into 2023, and part of that support will fall behind the ambitions of João Almeida. The Portuguese will be eyeing the Giro d'Italia, and has talked about his ambitions and riders who will be supporting him.

“The block that goes to the Giro will almost always race with me, for example, Jay Vine has the same races as I have since the Volta ao Algarve, then he does Tirreno and Catalunya, "Almeida said in an interview with TopCycling. "He is a great cyclist and in the high mountains it is important to know how to communicate. With Covi and Ulissi we also have more races. Of course it's important, we'll get to know each other better within the race

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With that said, the Australian's target has been revealed, with the Tour de France likely out of question. After winning two stages at this year's Vuelta a Espana, the UAE team net a breakthrough climber, despite Alpecin-Deceuninck's rise to World Tour. Vine was signed alongside the likes of Adam Yates, Tim Wellens, Felix Grossschartner and Domen Novak, all riders capable of performing in the mountains.

Almeida revealed that vine, alongside Alessandro Covi and Diego Ulissi, will be aiming at the Giro. They should also have a very similar schedule until then, with Almeida starting his season in the Mallorca classics, followed by the Volta ao Algarve, Tirreno-Adriatico and Volta a Catalunya. He will then have an altitude camp in Sierra Nevada before another tilt at the Giro.

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“I would say yes. As long as I don't have any bad luck or falls I'll do the Giro, next year I'll turn the page and do the Tour de France," he continued, revealing this may be his final year of consecutively targeting the Corsa Rosa. He's finished fourth and sixth in his two presences so far, abandoning the race in the final week this year whilst sitting in fourth.

"It's a race one level above the Giro and the Vuelta; when doing the Tour I may have to do the Dauphiné or Switzerland, change the schedule a little bit so as not to be repetitive all the time," the 24-year old said. The 70 kilometers of time-trialing will suit him best out of the two known Grand Tours so far, whilst Tadej Pogacar will aim for a third yellow jersey in France over the summer - and Juan Ayuso will gauge a Vuelta a Espana preparation.

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“The time trials will make the difference and I've always been told that the longer the race the better it suits me, although it's a matter of physical capacity. I like time trials, I like chrono climbs – in juniors I did some and I like those individual efforts," Almeida said. He will have a tough task however, having to face the likes of Remco Evenepoel, Primoz Roglic and Geraint Thomas who are all specialists.

"The one at the Giro will be mixed because we started with the chrono bike and switched to the regular one; you will need to practice changing your bike so as not to waste too much time. The classic time trial is more decisive since the climb is just a climb and in the mountains it's a question of physical ability," the Portuguese included.

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