João Almeida - Bota Lume

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Great to see Almeida win major stage races instead of finishing an almost guaranteed top 10 finish.

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Great to see Almeida win major stage races instead of finishing an almost guaranteed top 10 finish.

FOTO_06-BlogOKbaja.jpg
Segond in Tirreno-Adriatico in 2023. Behind Roglic.
Second in Switzerland. Behind Adam Yates.
Third in UAE Tour in 2021. Behind Pogacar and Yates (then in Ineos). Vingegaard behind Almeida.

He came very close to winning.

Almeida was more than a top-10 rider. In some of these races, only the top three riders in one-week races in the last 10 years have defeated him. He probably wouldn't have won in Itzulia and Romandia with Pogacar, Roglic, and Yates either.
 
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Segond in Tirreno-Adriatico in 2023. Behind Roglic.
Second in Switzerland. Behind Adam Yates.
Third in UAE Tour in 2021. Behind Pogacar and Yates (then in Ineos). Vingegaard behind Almeida.

He came very close to winning.

Almeida was more than a top-10 rider. In some of these races, only the top three riders in one-week races in the last 10 years have defeated him. He probably wouldn't have won in Itzulia and Romandia with Pogacar, Roglic, and Yates either.
He would have definitely won Itzulia and Romandie against Yates.
 
How do you guys think he would've done in this giro? He's good on gravel, but not in the rain. He probably wouldn't have gone down bad yesterday either as he is as he is. I'm just curious.
Almeida has become stronger in the rain and bad weather. he won an icy stage in paris nice. which was stopped by hail. he also won 2 stages in the rain in the basque Tour. he also doesn't fall often. but i think the giro course is not good for him.
 
How do you guys think he would've done in this giro? He's good on gravel, but not in the rain. He probably wouldn't have gone down bad yesterday either as he is as he is. I'm just curious.
If he rode the same schedule and then Giro, I think he’d have faded due to fatigue. If he planned for the Giro at the start of the year I think he’d be in the lead by 3-4 mins due to being a better timetrialer.
 
I think he would´ve won easily. In 2023, his gap to Roglic was small, and he's a rider who has been improving every year.

Let's keep in mind that in this Giro, Carapaz has become one of the favorites, whereas last year he didn't even make the podium in the Vuelta. Almeida is no less than the current Bernal and Carapaz

.I also think of Landa. If Landa had been in the shape he was at the 2024 Tour, he'd be second right now and with a good chance of doing something important in the mountains.

Almeida and Landa are two guys who are stronger than most who are going to fight for this Giro, but they're never in the right moment.
 
I think he would´ve won easily. In 2023, his gap to Roglic was small, and he's a rider who has been improving every year.

Let's keep in mind that in this Giro, Carapaz has become one of the favorites, whereas last year he didn't even make the podium in the Vuelta. Almeida is no less than the current Bernal and Carapaz

.I also think of Landa. If Landa had been in the shape he was at the 2024 Tour, he'd be second right now and with a good chance of doing something important in the mountains.

Almeida and Landa are two guys who are stronger than most who are going to fight for this Giro, but they're never in the right moment.
That said, his positioning is as much of a weakness as Ayuso's. The difference is that Almeida is actually good on sterrato (experience racing on it in the u23 ranks at Unieuro and having to babysit Evenepoel in 2021), but his positioning is still bad and he's always risking to be caught behind when a crash or split happens. Overall he might be a bit better, but from what they've done this spring him and Ayuso are relative to eachother, when in shape and healthy.
No disrespect, but I think in the long run Del Toro has a higher ceiling than both of them.
 
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So the sentiment of the past few days seems universal, Pogi is mostly messing with his doms. And ultimately nobody is leaving UAE.
 
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So the sentiment of the past few days seems universal, Pogi is mostly messing with his doms. And ultimately nobody is leaving UAE.
Read that too, thought it mostly badly argued BS. UAE knows that Almeida is their number 2 at the moment. That's why he was leader in the Giro 22, out with Covid, would otherwise IMO have ended up third. That's why he was leader in the Giro 23 and did end up third. That's why he was leader at the Vuelta 24 and had to give up with Covid again.
That's why in 25 he will be Vuelta leader again. Unless Pogacar really shows up, but I'm kind of sceptical he will somehow. Normally he should, but.. anyway, if Pogacar is there, then yes, Almeida had 1 season without leadership in a GT. He'll get it again in 26 for sure, completely regardless of what Ayuso and Del Toro do this Giro. Even if they had finished 1-2, Almeida was going to get his leadership somewhere in 26 (ok, unless that's the year Pogacar decides to do 3 GTs)

I think in 24 Almeida made a huge step forward, confirmed 25, so yes, a bit bitter that this is the year where he might not get to be leader in a GT. See Pogacar Vuelta. He's regarded as important for Pogacar at the Tour, which remains the first priority. AND after not getting to be leader anywhere in 24, Ayuso certainly deserved a chance. Co-leader Yates the same, did well as a pure helper, wanted to see if he can perform for himself once more, was back at being a helper very soon. But made sense to start with those 2 as leaders on paper, next year I expect Almeida to be Giro-leader, all depending on Pogacar's plans of course.
 
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