"Maybe one day I felt the lack of support" - João Almeida on Vuelta a Espana, battles with Vingegaard and Ayuso's departure

João Almeida was one of the great protagonists of the 2025 Vuelta a Espana and rode to a second place behind Jonas Vingegaard in the overall classification. Although he received strong support from UAE Team Emirates - XRG, he doesn't forget that there were days where this was not the case.

The Portuguese rider's performance, which was the result of a crash in the Tour de France and the absence of a strong block in the decisive moments, reinforced Almeida's status as one of the best riders today. Almeida is now fifth in the UCI world ranking, behind teammate Tadej Pogacar, Vingegaard, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck). As far as grand tour riders are concerned, he is in third place. For the final stretch of the season, his main objective is the Europeans, which start in France at the beginning of October, where he will lead the national team alongside Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain-Victorious), António Morgado (UAE), Nelson Oliveira (Movistar, time trial only) and Rui Costa (EF Education-EasyPost). The World Championships in Rwanda are not part of the plans.

In an interview with Rádio Observador's E o Campeão é... Almeida recalled the victory at Angliru as a "historic and special victory": "It was very good. My feeling is that we couldn't have won. We finished in a fine second place and with aspirations to do better in the future. Until the last kilometer of stage 20 I always believed. Then I threw in the towel, because Vingegaard was ahead. In the last few days I'd been feeling sick, I had the flu. I had nothing to lose. I gave it my all and tried to leave him in the lurch. It didn't work".

Almeida also explained the evolution of his position in the peloton: "Positioning? It's been improving a lot. It used to be much worse. I put myself in the position of saving energy. The secret is knowing when not to waste energy. My ability to 'stretch' is pretty good, but sometimes I'm too far out and I can't do it. I prefer to leave the stretching to the end. I always try to race as smartly as I can and leave the so-called 'Almeidadas' for last".

Regarding the criticism of the team at the Vuelta, the Portuguese rider was clear: "Maybe one day I felt the lack of support. Overall we were excellent and the team was very supportive. There comes a point when it's every man for himself and having a teammate doesn't make any difference. We weren't perfect, but we did our best."

In the same conversation, he also talked about breakaways, the time trial and Juan Ayuso's announced departure: "Breakaways? The price hasn't been paid. There are stages that aren't for the overall, they're for the breakaway. The stages they won were days for the breakaway. Time trial? As it was a flat time trial, the advantage was on my side. At 27 kilometers I would have gained more [time], but I don't think it would have made a difference to winning the Vuelta. Ayuso? We already knew he was leaving the team [before the start of the Vuelta]. I don't know why the team wanted to announce it then [during the race]. I think he wanted opportunities. In a team with Pogacar, it's not easy to make everyone happy. He's the best ever. Hardly anyone has done what he does".

Regarding the UAE's strategy, Almeida added: "At first, the leadership was to have two leaders. It was going to be good because Visma only had one. We knew the reality, that Ayuso's preparation hadn't been the best. In the Andorra stage there was a mental disconnect [from Ayuso] and things became clearer."

He also highlighted off-road management: "Having the red jersey means going to the podium ceremony, interviews, press conferences... you lose an hour and a half recovering. Everything counts at the end of 21 stages and we have to prioritize recovery."

When asked about the Volta a Portugal, which he has never raced to this day, he made a clear diagnosis: "In the past it had more interest and value. Nowadays it doesn't have as much. It has lost its essence and its value. The big showcase is out there. In the beginning, you have to evolve here, but out there is where there is more experience and knowledge. It's tougher, but the rewards are greater. The national team was very important for my development."

He also recalled the "improvised podium" at the end of the Vuelta, organized by Visma: "It was a beautiful, humble podium, in a parking lot, where the podium were the coolers. It was organized by Visma and Q36.5. I liked it because it was simple, a friends thing. It was one of the best moments of my career".

As for the future, the Portuguese rider doesn't hide his ambition: "The goal is to win a Grand Tour. I'm already satisfied with my record in one-week races. Whether it's the Giro, Tour or Vuelta, I don't know. We haven't prepared for next season yet and we have to reconcile it with Tadej. I'd like to return to the Giro, because I have a special history with the Giro. I'd like to come back and fight for the race. The Tour de France is number one and you can clearly feel that."

Regarding his decision to skip the World Championships, Almeida explained: "It's my choice. I wasn't going to arrive well and the preparation wasn't going to be good. I preferred to give another athlete the chance. Making up the numbers didn't make sense. I love my team, but having the Portuguese flag on my chest gives me a different feeling. Only those who represent understand how it feels. We're representing our country, without the interests of sponsors, and we want to do our best. To finish in the top ten [at the European Championships] would be a good goal."