"Not sharp or alert. Completely unacceptable" - Former Tour de France winner slams 'amateurish' Joao Almeida & Juan Ayuso

Bjarne Riis did not mince his words following Stage 9 of the 2025 Vuelta a Espana, delivering a stinging critique of João Almeida’s general classification performance — and questioning the tactical acumen of UAE Team Emirates as a whole.

In quotes collected by Feltet.dk, the former Tour de France winner reacted to a stage that saw Jonas Vingegaard stamp his authority on the race, taking his second stage win in dominant fashion and gaining crucial time on key GC rivals. But while Vingegaard’s brilliance stole the headlines, Riis was more focused on the riders who failed to respond — with Almeida bearing the brunt of his frustration.

“He’s just not sharp or alert,” Riis said bluntly. “He’s sitting far too far back, and then he misses the move when the train leaves the station. It’s incredibly amateurish.”

The decisive moment came with just over 10 kilometres remaining, when Vingegaard launched a long-range attack on a mountainous stage designed to test GC contenders. Giulio Ciccone was the only rider able to respond initially — a move the Italian later admitted may have been ill-judged. But Almeida? Nowhere to be seen.

In the chaotic moments after the Danish rider lit up the stage, Almeida was caught on the back foot, forced into damage-limitation mode rather than riding proactively. By the time he attempted to close the gap, Vingegaard had already opened up a significant advantage. The Portuguese climber ultimately shipped 24 seconds on the day, and now trails Vingegaard by 38 seconds on the overall classification.

Riis, who has never been one to hold back in his assessments, called it a “massive, massive blunder.”

“It’s completely unacceptable,” he continued. “When you're fighting for a Grand Tour podium — maybe even the win — you have to be ready for that moment. Vingegaard doesn’t hide what he’s going to do. You know the attack is coming. And yet, Almeida isn’t there. That’s inexcusable at this level.”

The criticism wasn’t limited to Almeida alone. Riis also questioned the performance — or lack thereof — from UAE’s other GC hope, Juan Ayuso, who was similarly absent when the race blew apart. “Just as amateurish as Ayuso not being in the fight,” he added. “You can’t have your two main guys getting caught out like that — not in the second week of a Grand Tour.”