João Almeida - Bota Lume

[Peyroteo94]

I mean: What is a furphy? I have been a native speaker of English for more than 60 years and have never seen the word in my life: I'm sure many of our second language contributors are even more baffled by it.

furphy is Australian slang for an erroneous or improbable story that is claimed to be factual.

 

[carolina]

0 chance Pogacar can contractually demand that.

Also considering they barely ride together, I don't see why Pogacar would demand his presence.

 

[Rou]

People, one thing to know is that Almeida already has 39 race days this year. If he finishes both the Tour and Vuelta he will be at 81... Talk about overloading.

 

[YavorD]

People, one thing to know is that Almeida already has 39 race days this year. If he finishes both the Tour and Vuelta he will be at 81... Talk about overloading.

I was thinking the same actually. Wonder if he's not overraced.

 

[Salvarani]

Almeida will be leader in Vuelta, as Pog likely wont ride it.

 

[noob]

0 chance Pogacar can contractually demand that.

That's good. But it doesn't make that big a difference. If Pog wants to go to vuelta. Of course Almeida can have a free role, but the second he's needed...

That's the main problem with UAE. Only Pog has a team. The others has chaos.

 

[Salvarani]

People, one thing to know is that Almeida already has 39 race days this year. If he finishes both the Tour and Vuelta he will be at 81... Talk about overloading.

He did over 70 days in 2021-2023.

 

[noob]

People, one thing to know is that Almeida already has 39 race days this year. If he finishes both the Tour and Vuelta he will be at 81... Talk about overloading.

He always stated he wants a long career. That it doesn't matter if it takes a long time. Kinda like he rides.

And when younger he absolutely didn't want to do to GT in a year as he was too young. (But he ended up doing it bc of giro covid.)

I don't think he can do two GT in a year either. That's why he gets ill.

 

[Salvarani]

He always stated he wants a long career. That it doesn't matter if it takes a long time. Kinda like he rides.

And when younger he absolutely didn't want to do to GT in a year as he was too young. (But he ended up doing it bc of giro covid.)

I don't think he can do two GT in a year either. That's why he gets ill.

You shouldnt look too much backwards and focus on the now/forward instead.

 

[noob]

You shouldnt look too much backwards and focus on the now/forward instead.

I only focus on whether he's changed his ambitions completely or not.

For real people thinks he rides down his teammates and puts Ayuso on the spot on camera during tdf because he is so happy riding for Pog? 😉

 

[Salvarani]

I only focus on whether he's changed his ambitions completely or not.

For real people thinks he rides down his teammates and puts Ayuso on the spot on camera during tdf because he is so happy riding for Pog? 😉

Almeida is a team player. He was sacrificing himself for the team/leader as that was his job in the race, first and foremost. He was okay doing that. He got rewarded by actually finishing 4th in the end anyway. This season as well, getting leadership in almost every race.

He was just frustrated at Ayuso for not doing the same in that moment, as the team had planned. That Ayuso didnt have the same character and professionalism, as himself.

That was what happened last year. Things have changed. We dont know the future.

I would be surprised if Pog does Vuelta.

My prediction is Almeida does the same job in Tour as last year, leader Vuelta if he is not too tired for second GT. Then probably leader in Giro next season. We will see.

 

[solo80k]

That was what happened last year. Things have changed. We dont know the future.

I would be surprised if Pog does Vuelta.

My prediction is Almeida does the same job in Tour as last year, leader Vuelta if he is not too tired for second GT. Then probably leader in Giro next season. We will see.

I have a totally different view.

I would be surprised if Almeida does Vuelta this year. I think UAE should keep him highly placed in the Tour GC "just in case" and put additional pressure on Visma this way. If true, he will be spending a lot of energy during the Tour. He should try Giro 2026 as Pogacar won't be participating there.

 

[Cycling111]

I thought Pogacar wouldn't do the Vuelta, but what he said at the Dauphiné changed my mind. If all goes well at the Tour, Pogacar will do the Vuelta.

Next year Vingegaard will turn 30. I think he'll do the Giro-Tour. He can't postpone it. After 30, you never know when the decline will begin. He can't put it off for many years, so I think he will do it next year.

I also don't rule out Pogacar doing the Giro-Tour again.
After Roubaix, he said he wouldn't do that classics calendar every year and that he´d do two GTs for a few more years.

This year seemed like the right year to do the Giro, but Almeida himself said last year that he wouldn't prefer not to do it after several years in the Giro.

 

[Cycling111]

Almeida is a team player. He was sacrificing himself for the team/leader as that was his job in the race, first and foremost. He was okay doing that. He got rewarded by actually finishing 4th in the end anyway. This season as well, getting leadership in almost every race.

He was just frustrated at Ayuso for not doing the same in that moment, as the team had planned. That Ayuso didnt have the same character and professionalism, as himself.

That was what happened last year. Things have changed. We dont know the future.

I would be surprised if Pog does Vuelta.

My prediction is Almeida does the same job in Tour as last year, leader Vuelta if he is not too tired for second GT. Then probably leader in Giro next season. We will see.

Come on, Almeida finished fourth in the Tour because he didn't have to sacrifice himself.

The one who sacrificed himself at one stage was Yates, when he attacked for Pogacar's later attack.
Sacrificing would mean lose time.

Last year, Pogacar didn't need Almeida to sacrifice himself. Almeida's fourth place finish was the best he could have achieved because Pogacar didn't need his sacrifice.
We'll see if he needs it this year, given that Yates isn't having a good year.

 

[Salvarani]

I have a totally different view.

I would be surprised if Almeida does Vuelta this year. I think UAE should keep him highly placed in the Tour GC "just in case" and put additional pressure on Visma this way. If true, he will be spending a lot of energy during the Tour. He should try Giro 2026 as Pogacar won't be participating there.

Literally said he might not do Vuelta. I was only saying it in regard to where he might have leadership when it comes to GTs, if Pog not doing Vuelta this year. As Almeida is listed to do Vuelta, right now. It is very possible that things could change in the near future regarding the second half of the season.

As said, I can see Almeida being leader for Giro next season.

We will see.

 

[Salvarani]

Come on, Almeida finished fourth in the Tour because he didn't have to sacrifice himself.

The one who sacrificed himself at one stage was Yates, when he attacked for Pogacar's later attack.
Sacrificing would mean lose time.

Last year, Pogacar didn't need Almeida to sacrifice himself. Almeida's fourth place finish was the best he could have achieved because Pogacar didn't need his sacrifice.
We'll see if he needs it this year, given that Yates isn't having a good year.

Okay. Thanks for the input.

 

[yaco]

furphy is Australian slang for an erroneous or improbable story that is claimed to be factual.

Thats correct. hence my reference to Cycling 111 who claimed if Almeida left UAE he would be battling against Pogaacar in one week races, bearing in mind that Pogi does not ride many one week races.

 

[yaco]

I thought Pogacar wouldn't do the Vuelta, but what he said at the Dauphiné changed my mind. If all goes well at the Tour, Pogacar will do the Vuelta.

Next year Vingegaard will turn 30. I think he'll do the Giro-Tour. He can't postpone it. After 30, you never know when the decline will begin. He can't put it off for many years, so I think he will do it next year.

I also don't rule out Pogacar doing the Giro-Tour again.
After Roubaix, he said he wouldn't do that classics calendar every year and that he´d do two GTs for a few more years.

This year seemed like the right year to do the Giro, but Almeida himself said last year that he wouldn't prefer not to do it after several years in the Giro.

Do you really think that Pogacar would do four consecutive GT's. Froome did this in 2017 and 2018, and nothwithstanding his crash and injuries in the 2019, he became a shadow of himself, even considering his advanced years.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Do you really think that Pogacar would do four consecutive GT's. Froome did this in 2017 and 2018, and nothwithstanding his crash and injuries in the 2019, he became a shadow of himself, even considering his advanced years.

Froome did 2 GTs in 2012, 2015 (He crashed out in the Vuelta), 2016, 2017, 2018. I didn't count 2014. So during his peak, Froome did almost every year 2 GTs. He became a shadow of himself due to a heavy crash, not because of a burnout.

 

[P4rthen0n]

Contador completed 2 GTs in a year for 4 times.
Froome 3 times (+1 time in 2022, but we can discard that one).
Nibali 8 times.
Wiggins 2 times.
Cadel Evans 5 times.
Carlos Sastre did it 8 times + 2 times completed all 3 GTs.
Oscar Pereiro did it 2 times.

This is only looking at Tour de France winners in the past 2 decades.

Doing 2 GTs in a year is perfectly doable if the season is planned for that, especially if we're talking Giro + Vuelta.
Winning them is the hardest part.

 

[Red Rick]

Giro/Vuelta is strangely difficult due to some weird timing I think.

But the key is to take it easy on the spring stage races.

 

[AmRacer]

Froome did 2 GTs in 2012, 2015 (He crashed out in the Vuelta), 2016, 2017, 2018. I didn't count 2014. So during his peak, Froome did almost every year 2 GTs. He became a shadow of himself due to a heavy crash, not because of a burnout.

Keyword, Consecutive...
Tour, Vuelta, Giro, Tour

 

[noob]

I am very much not delusional about any cyclist, whether I like them or not. There is no way a cyclist who wants GT leadership choses to go to tdf as a domestique rather than having leadership at the giro.

There is just no way I believe that was Almeidas first choice. Because it makes zero sense if one doesn't believe he's some kind of unselfish angel.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Keyword, Consecutive...
Tour, Vuelta, Giro, Tour

Who is going to do that?

 

[carolina]

I am very much not delusional about any cyclist, whether I like them or not. There is no way a cyclist who wants GT leadership choses to go to tdf as a domestique rather than having leadership at the giro.

There is just no way I believe that was Almeidas first choice. Because it makes zero sense if one doesn't believe he's some kind of angel.

He did ask to do the Tour last year, because he had never done it. He got the best placing he could ask for, even if he was on another team.

For this year I have no idea, but with things going well for him last season and Ayuso's request for leadership, maybe he didn't mind doing the Tour again. I do think he can beat Remco and finish 3rd.