"Perhaps the best ever" - João Almeida praises teammate Tadej Pogacar after Velo d'Or victory

It was cycling's worst-kept secret and this Friday, unsurprisingly, Tadej Pogacar was once again in the spotlight at the Velo d'Or gala by taking his third title - and second consecutive. This came at the end of an historic season where he's won almost every race he set out to, including many of the season's key events.

The UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader ended an absolutely dominant season: he won the Tour de France for the fourth time; became European and World champion; won Strade Bianche, Tour of Flanders, Liége-Bastogne-Liège, Il Lombardia... The list goes on and on. There was never truly any doubt he would take the award.

His all-round dominance, capable of deciding both grand tours and classics, also earned him the 'Eddy Merckx Trophy', reserved for the cyclist who stands out the most in one-day races. Among the women, the equivalent went to Dutchwoman Lorena Wiebes. In the team section, UAE Team Emirates - XRG was named the best team of the year after setting a new record for victories during the season.

João Almeida was past of this success, having won the Itzulia Basque Country, Tour de Romandie and Tour de Suisse throughout 2025, as well as finishing second in key stage-races such as the Vuelta a España, Volta ao Algarve and Volta a Comunitat Valenciana. He contributed in UCI points, victories and overall prestige throughout the year - contesting for the Vuelta win against none other than Jonas Vingegaard as well.

Pogacar's absence at the event in Paris led João Almeida to take to the stage to represent the team. The Portuguese rider, who was also among the finalists for the Velo d'Or, highlighted the spirit that reigns in the team:

"We're a family, it's an honor to be part of this team. We always try to do our best. I'm going to keep working for more. I want to win more races, despite the increasingly high level. That's my goal," he said.

At the end, speaking to Record, he described the moment as special: "It was a good experience to be here for the first time. I was nominated, it was good to be here for these important cycling awards," he said, before commenting on the inevitable protagonist of the evening: His teammate Pogacar.

"Tadej is exemplary, perhaps the best ever and the clear winner of these awards. He's had an incredible season, yet another, and has won almost everything," he said. "It's complicated to win both trophies, but he's good on any terrain".

"The Tour de France carries a lot of weight in the Velo d'Or vote, and in the Eddy Merckx Trophy it's the classics, but he's also won monuments, so it ends up being normal". Almeida recently signed a contract extension with the Emirati team, and as has been the case over the past two seasons, he is expected to play a key support role for the rainbow jersey at the 2026 Tour de France.