"Remco’s a better time triallist than me but it’s a good route for me" - João Almeida ready to go all-in to Giro d'Italia once again

João Almeida will lead UAE Team Emirates at the Giro d'Italia this year and he talks of some of his rivals, including Remco Evenepoel, his plans for the season and what he has learnt over the last few years.

“Remco’s a better time triallist than me but it’s a good route for me, a hard third week which I like. I’m excited," Almeida told Cyclingnews. “I know everyone from the team now, the coaches, the nutritionists, all the staff, so I don’t have to adapt to anything. I’m not nervous or afraid. Mentally it’s easier and I can focus on training and racing.”

The Portuguese rider faced a tough challenge in 2022 but was in the fight for the podium until a covid-19 infection took him out of the race. He recovered to have a strong second part of the season later where he also raced the Vuelta a Espana, and being a Grand Tour specialist he admits he may repeat that calendar.

“Normally I’d like to go back to the Vuelta, I liked the race this year (2022, ed.), the weather was good and this year I’d like to complete two Grand Tours. But it’s too soon to say. Ayuso is going, maybe Tadej, so if you are going to bring a strong team, normally you’d go for the strongest guy. And that’d be Tadej," he says.

As UAE look to change things up Almeida's spot for the future faces some mystery. 2024 may see him make his Tour de France debut, but with talent such as Pogacar, Ayuso, Jay Vine, Brandon McNulty and other strong climbers within the team, anything can happen.

He recalls his defeat at the Volta a Catalunya this year: “You win or you learn. I still did a good race, I got third overall. Of course, I could have maybe won, but I’m happy with that. We learn more when we lose."

There, he won a high-mountain stage. He repeated that success at the Vuelta a Burgos later in the year, consolidating himself further as a top climber within the peloton - besides his natural time-trialing and sprinting skills. He has also commented on his partnership with Juan Ayuso, which didn't work perfectly in Catalunya, but saw the Spaniard overpower Almeida in the Vuelta.

“I’m not that old, but I have some experience, and every time he needed some words of advice I could talk to him about my first Grand Tour," he continues. "I was always there to tell him how things would probably go. I like helping other riders, but if they’re from my team, even more so.”

Finally, over the departure of Rui Costa who had been in the team for several year, Almeida has bad feelings. “For me personally it’s a loss. He’s a really nice guy with a lot of experience, I learned a lot with him and I think there was more that he could share with me in the future," he says. 

"I would have liked him to stay with the team but that wasn’t possible. I just hope it works out for him in his new team, because he’s a nice guy and really deserves it," Almeida concluded. Nevertheless he's joined by Rui and Ivo Oliveira in the UAE Team who will be racing together throughout the year.