"João has the mental strength" - Pedro Delgado believes in João Almeida's chances of fighting for Giro d'Italia win

João Almeida, who recently finished 2nd in Tirreno-Adriatico only behind Primož Roglič, is one of the riders of the moment. The Portuguese from the UAE Team Emirates will go to the Giro d'Italia, and ex-rider and cycling legend Pedro "Perico" Delgado isn't indifferent to what the Portuguese as been doing.

"João Almeida looks like a rider to me. Maybe physically he has some limitations in relation to other riders, but the mental strength he has is enviable. How he manages the effort and the agony seems to me worthy of admiration and I think that is the biggest potential that João has the mental strength", said Delgado to TopCycling.pt.

Almeida goes to the Giro with strong general classifications ambitions, he already finished 4th and 6th on the race and last year was battling for at least a podium before dropping out due to covid. This year's edition has difficult competition but Perico believes Almeida will be a rider to watch there.

"I think he will play him a very complicated Giro d'Italia by the presence of Evenepoel, Roglic, and another who will cheer to the party. It will be difficult to win. João Almeida has that mental capacity, besides the physical one, that surely will make him the protagonist of the race", he stated.

Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič will be for sure the main stars at the start of the Giro and the main favourites to win it, and Delgado warns that it will be very difficult for João Almeida to win it.

"However, I insist, it will be a bad year because without Evenepoel or Roglic you can win a Giro of Italy because it was always a race you flirted with and it is really a pity that having that physical condition of aspiring to win a big one, the presence of these two stars possibly makes it difficult", Perico concluded.