"Shame the time trial wasn’t the full 27km" - João Almeida rues shortening on stage 18 TT at La Vuelta despite time gain on Jonas Vingegaard

João Almeida may have clawed back ten crucial seconds on GC rival Jonas Vingegaard during Thursday’s shortened Stage 18 time trial at the Vuelta a Espana, but the Portuguese rider was left with a lingering sense of what might have been.

Originally slated to be a decisive 27.2km race against the clock through Valladolid, inclement weather and road conditions forced organisers to halve the course to just 12.2km — a change that suited the raw power specialists but perhaps limited the damage GC contenders like Almeida could inflict. “I gave it my all,” Almeida told Eurosport post-stage. “This kind of effort isn’t exactly my strength. It’s a shame the time trial wasn’t the full 27 kilometres, but it is what it is.”

While the UAE Team Emirates rider may not see himself as a pure time triallist, his ride against the clock was one of the strongest among the general classification contenders. Stopping the clock at 13:08, Almeida finished a full ten seconds ahead of Vingegaard, who posted a 13:18, and closed the GC gap between them to just 40 seconds with three decisive mountain days remaining.

It was a small victory on a day dominated by the specialists — and in particular, Filippo Ganna. The Italian powerhouse from INEOS Grenadiers put on a time trial masterclass, taking the team’s third stage win of this year’s race with a scorching time of 13:00, averaging a blistering 56.2 km/h over the short course.

For Almeida, the performance wasn’t just about time gains — it was also a test of adaptability. “We’ll never know what might have happened on the full course. ‘What ifs’ don’t count in life,” he said. “I felt quite strong out there, and we can be fairly satisfied with the result. But as a rider, you have to be ready for anything. It’s the same for everyone. You adjust and go again.”

Indeed, while Almeida is traditionally stronger in longer, more sustained efforts, his ability to punch hard on a short TT — especially against a rider as consistent as Vingegaard — will give UAE reason for optimism heading into the final weekend. With mountain stages still to come and the red jersey tantalisingly within reach, Almeida is maintaining a steady, focused mindset.

“The approach stays the same — it’s just like day one,” he explained. “You give it your all every day. Sometimes you’re on a good day, sometimes not. That’s the game. All we can do is stay focused and keep pushing.”

As La Vuelta heads into its final stages, the script remains unwritten. But with Almeida showing strength and resolve — and just 40 seconds separating him from the top step — Stage 18’s shortened TT might have been a missed opportunity, but the race for red is far from over.