João Almeida - Bota Lume

[SHAD0W93]

So now @SHAD0W93 if the cause of the crash was the exploded tyre then it still means the crash literally had nothing to do with Almeida so I can still say he doesn't crash lol. I still think this was why he looked so confused, on top of hurting.

Just means you jinxed him so much there was divine intervention :’(

 

[Rob5091]

If Pogacar is doing the Vuelta then it makes sense to send Almeida home so he might be in shape for the Vuelta. Now he's just riding along at the back and an extra guy for the team cars to feed and water. One more tumble and it could be something more serious.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

If Pogacar is doing the Vuelta then it makes sense to send Almeida home so he might be in shape for the Vuelta. Now he's just riding along at the back and an extra guy for the team cars to feed and water. One more tumble and it could be something more serious.

If Pog doesn't do the Vuelta, does it stop making sense to send Almeida home to get in shape for the Vuelta?

 

[Rackham]

I could see that for a head injury, where someone’s judgement could be temporarily impaired, but otherwise I feel strongly that we should err on the side of personal autonomy and self-determination.

Whose interests would be served by such an authoritarian approach? Why would we want to deny someone a chance to push through adversity and rise to a challenge?

Because riding with a fractured rib shouldn't be misrepresented as 'rising to the challenge' or sold as being some sort of hero in the first place. That's the problem. It's putting pressure on riders to ride the TdF all banged up and injured. It's asinine with a subtle undertone of "if you quit now, you're a coward". This sport has been polluted by that sort of thinking for way, way too long.

It's basically not good for the rider's health and in the event of another crash - especially resulting from the fact he's way below optimal feelings on the bike now - then obviously they could make his situation even worse.

The 'authoritarian approach' as you called my solution is still preferable to the alternative here which is the rider's team (UAE in this instance) making the call because they need every man, i.e. even an injured Almeida can take over bidon duties or early breakaway filtering. So obviously they want him to stay.

I believe the decision should be taken out of the hands of the parties with a vested interest in his continuation.

 

[Valv.Piti]

And what happens if the Maillot Jaune crashes then and get all bruised up but is able to continue? Should he also just be sent home?

 

[red_flanders]

Because riding with a fractured rib shouldn't be misrepresented as 'rising to the challenge' or sold as being some sort of hero in the first place. That's the problem. It's putting pressure on riders to ride the TdF all banged up and injured. It's asinine with a subtle undertone of "if you quit now, you're a coward". This sport has been polluted by that sort of thinking for way, way too long.

It's basically not good for the rider's health and in the event of another crash - especially resulting from the fact he's way below optimal feelings on the bike now - then obviously they could make his situation even worse.

The 'authoritarian approach' as you called my solution is still preferable to the alternative here which is the rider's team (UAE in this instance) making the call because they need every man, i.e. even an injured Almeida can take over bidon duties or early breakaway filtering. So obviously they want him to stay.

I believe the decision should be taken out of the hands of the parties with a vested interest in his continuation.

I very much disagree. People respond to and respect acts of self sacrifice, service, and brotherhood, and people who push through challenge to achieve a goal. To take that choice away from an athlete who is in control of their senses seems to me an abandonment of some of the most important values which make sports so compelling.

It’s not my understanding that the team made the call for him to stay, rather it was Almeida’s choice. I find it admirable, and the idea of taking that choice away from him I would object to in the most strenuous way possible.

 

[Rackham]

And what happens if the Maillot Jaune crashes then and get all bruised up but is able to continue? Should he also just be sent home?

If the Maillot Jaune suffered the same crash as Almeida, he wouldn't be Maillot Jaune for long would he? So the problem would take care of itself and he'd become just another ailing, injured rider struggling to finish stages.

It's a moot point.

I very much disagree. People respond to and respect acts of self sacrifice, service, and brotherhood, and people who push through challenge to achieve a goal. To take that choice away from an athlete who is in control of their senses seems to me an abandonment of some of the most important values which make sports so compelling.

It’s not my understanding that the team made the call for him to stay, rather it was Almeida’s choice. I find it admirable, and the idea of taking that choice away from him I would object to in the most strenuous way possible.

As far as I'm concerned the 'choice' Almeida made is most heavily influenced by the team that employs him, i.e. there's no real self-determination here. It's UAE front and center of the whole decision.

Ask yourself this: if Almeida was riding for some lower team without yellow jersey ambitions, would he really continue? If the decision was made regarding what's best for him, the choice should be dependent on whether he can actually get something personally out of this TdF. But he can't, can he? All he can do is carry bidons for Pog.

 

[Peyroteo94]

If the Maillot Jaune suffered the same crash as Almeida, he wouldn't be Maillot Jaune for long would he? So the problem would take care of itself and he'd become just another ailing, injured rider struggling to finish stages.

It's a moot point.



As far as I'm concerned the 'choice' Almeida made is most heavily influenced by the team that employs him, i.e. there's no real self-determination here. It's UAE front and center of the whole decision.

Ask yourself this: if Almeida was riding for some lower team without yellow jersey ambitions, would he really continue? If the decision was made regarding what's best for him, the choice should be dependent on whether he can actually get something personally out of this TdF. But he can't, can he? All he can do is carry bidons for Pog.

No, they already told Almeida is his decision to continue or not. Almeida decided he wanted to continue so please stop saying it's UAE who is putting pressure on him.

 

[Rob5091]

If Pog doesn't do the Vuelta, does it stop making sense to send Almeida home to get in shape for the Vuelta?

I'm guessing that Almeida was planned to do the Vuelta anyway so why not let him recover. He's not helping the team a lot by dangling at the back of the peloton. I can not see anything positive by him staying at the Tour apart from maybe adding to the "esprit de corps".

 

[Rackham]

No, they already told Almeida is his decision to continue or not. Almeida decided he wanted to continue so please stop saying it's UAE who is putting pressure on him.

I wasn't born yesterday. Almeida is a key component of UAE's TdF team with the goal of winning it with Pog.

Just because Pog fans are getting angsty and conveniently portraying Almeida like a hero because it suits their interests, I'm not going to 'shut up'. These are the same fans who tore into Ayuso and called him a traitor last year. They're wearing blinkers and have tunnel vision. UAE basically pays Almeida's wages so the balance of influence ways heavily in their favor. That's just the way it works. It's not exclusive to them either, i.e. it's a common occurrence in cycling: riders feeling obligated to ride around with fractures (& making their situation worse) because the team needs them for someone else's goal.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I wasn't born yesterday. Almeida is a key component of UAE's TdF team with the goal of winning it with Pog.

Just because Pog fans are getting angsty and conveniently portraying Almeida like a hero because it suits their interests, I'm not going to 'shut up'. These are the same fans who tore into Ayuso and called him a traitor last year. They're wearing blinkers and have tunnel vision. UAE basically pays Almeida's wages so the balance of influence ways heavily in their favor. That's just the way it works. It's not exclusive to them either, i.e. it's a common occurrence in cycling: riders feeling obligated to ride around with fractures (& making their situation worse) because the team needs them for someone else's goal.

It's your opinion, nothing more. To Ayuso, they gave a free card to quit the race last year (and in the Giro 2025), to Almeida, they are forcing him. Why, different behaviours? Since you believe Almeida wanted to quit but he is not allowed.

 

[Rackham]

It's your opinion, nothing more. To Ayuso, they gave a free card to quit the race last year (and in the Giro 2025), to Almeida, they are forcing him. Why, different behaviours? Since you believe Almeida wanted to quit but he is not allowed.

I never even said that. Don't put words in my mouth.

I said that the balance of influence in that decision weighs too heavily in favor of the parties with a vested interest in having injured riders continue to ride the Tour. In this instance it's UAE. We've seen the same with plenty of other teams as well (FDJ having Pinot ride around with a busted back a few years ago for example).

Teams operate in a no man's land where workers rights and physical interests are of secondary (or non-existent) concern. And the riders themselves become accustomed to that system as well. It's expected of them.

So many "heroes" riding around injured or sick because that's what the sponsor expects. Of course there's very little in it for the riders at this point beyond some cynical pat on the back and online praise for the "heroism and self-sacrifice" that conveniently serves the interests of others, not their own.

 

[red_flanders]

As far as I'm concerned the 'choice' Almeida made is most heavily influenced by the team that employs him, i.e. there's no real self-determination here. It's UAE front and center of the whole decision.

I really don’t know how much of it was him or the team, and there’s likely no way I can. I’m going by what he and Pogacar have said. There’s always some pressure from the people around us when we make choices, that’s just how humans operate. And for all I know the team tried to talk him out of continuing.

But isn’t all of that rather beside the point? Do we have so much evidence of coercion and harm (I see none) that we should legislate a solution, and take control and choice from the individual and hand it to an outside party? I sure as hell wouldn’t want it if it were me,

Ask yourself this: if Almeida was riding for some lower team without yellow jersey ambitions, would he really continue? If the decision was made regarding what's best for him, the choice should be dependent on whether he can actually get something personally out of this TdF. But he can't, can he? All he can do is carry bidons for Pog.

We’ve seen athletes who weren’t on the team with the jersey do similar things, and I’ve seen such acts across sports and in life. But do the stakes add to the athlete’s calculus? Of course. As well they should. And who are we to say that he’s not getting anything out of it personally? Humans have all kinds of reward systems and incentives. Selflessness and service have many rewards, maybe some of the most important ones.

Without overwhelming evidence of harm and/or coercion, should we not err on the side of letting people decide their own fates? To my way of thinking, unquestionably yes.

 

[Cycling111]

I wasn't born yesterday. Almeida is a key component of UAE's TdF team with the goal of winning it with Pog.

Just because Pog fans are getting angsty and conveniently portraying Almeida like a hero because it suits their interests, I'm not going to 'shut up'. These are the same fans who tore into Ayuso and called him a traitor last year. They're wearing blinkers and have tunnel vision. UAE basically pays Almeida's wages so the balance of influence ways heavily in their favor. That's just the way it works. It's not exclusive to them either, i.e. it's a common occurrence in cycling: riders feeling obligated to ride around with fractures (& making their situation worse) because the team needs them for someone else's goal.

Let's not give ourselves so much importance. Cyclists don't care what four people say on a forum or Twitter.
Almeida isn't going to stay in a race because of what someone says about him on Twitter.

Both, Almeida and his team, have said the decision is up to him. But we believe what someone says on a forum or on Twitter is more important than the protagonist himself.

Twitter isn't everyone. There are a lot of haters on Twitter, but then during the Tour, in the streets, we see that the majority of fans support the cyclists, while some spend 24/7 criticizing them on internet.

 

[Netserk]

I guess they will assess during restday. Would probably make more sense to let him heal and send him to the Vuelta. I'm sure his good friend and soon to be best man at his wedding, Ayuso, would be thrilled.

Ayuso wouldn't be affected one way or another.

 

[Netserk]

Because riding with a fractured rib shouldn't be misrepresented as 'rising to the challenge' or sold as being some sort of hero in the first place. That's the problem. It's putting pressure on riders to ride the TdF all banged up and injured. It's asinine with a subtle undertone of "if you quit now, you're a coward". This sport has been polluted by that sort of thinking for way, way too long.

It's basically not good for the rider's health and in the event of another crash - especially resulting from the fact he's way below optimal feelings on the bike now - then obviously they could make his situation even worse.

The 'authoritarian approach' as you called my solution is still preferable to the alternative here which is the rider's team (UAE in this instance) making the call because they need every man, i.e. even an injured Almeida can take over bidon duties or early breakaway filtering. So obviously they want him to stay.

I believe the decision should be taken out of the hands of the parties with a vested interest in his continuation.

They are pros. They don't ride for the sake of their health, they ride to get paid. Most value is generated at the Tour, so even if it ruins the rest of his season, it may still make sense to squeeze whatever you can out of him.

 

[elguapo]

Some claim that Joao tire blew out, any available video stream?

 

[Cycling111]

Some claim that Joao tire blew out, any available video stream?

You can see it in the broadcast. The noise is typical of an explosion, and, in the front shot, you can see the white liquid coming out. Then you can see the liquid stains on the road.

 

[Netserk]

I wasn't born yesterday. Almeida is a key component of UAE's TdF team with the goal of winning it with Pog.

Just because Pog fans are getting angsty and conveniently portraying Almeida like a hero because it suits their interests, I'm not going to 'shut up'. These are the same fans who tore into Ayuso and called him a traitor last year. They're wearing blinkers and have tunnel vision. UAE basically pays Almeida's wages so the balance of influence ways heavily in their favor. That's just the way it works. It's not exclusive to them either, i.e. it's a common occurrence in cycling: riders feeling obligated to ride around with fractures (& making their situation worse) because the team needs them for someone else's goal.

Yes, and that is good!

What Rogla did in 2022 from the haybale to Granon was more valuable than the rest of his season. The only mistake then was not taking him out immediately after the stage, or at the very least perform a much more thorough assessment after he had performed his role.

 

[ice&fire]

And what happens if the Maillot Jaune crashes then and get all bruised up but is able to continue? Should he also just be sent home?

Pascal Simon '83 says hello!

 

[Cycling111]

It's your opinion, nothing more. To Ayuso, they gave a free card to quit the race last year (and in the Giro 2025), to Almeida, they are forcing him. Why, different behaviours? Since you believe Almeida wanted to quit but he is not allowed.

I haven't even read a single Pogacar fan on Twitter or the forum asking for Almeida to stay. If he feels bad, everyone agrees he shouldn't stay.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I never even said that. Don't put words in my mouth.

I said that the balance of influence in that decision weighs too heavily in favor of the parties with a vested interest in having injured riders continue to ride the Tour. In this instance it's UAE. We've seen the same with plenty of other teams as well (FDJ having Pinot ride around with a busted back a few years ago for example).

Teams operate in a no man's land where workers rights and physical interests are of secondary (or non-existent) concern. And the riders themselves become accustomed to that system as well. It's expected of them.

So many "heroes" riding around injured or sick because that's what the sponsor expects. Of course there's very little in it for the riders at this point beyond some cynical pat on the back and online praise for the "heroism and self-sacrifice" that conveniently serves the interests of others, not their own.

You're doing something worse, yoy are accusing Pogi fans for suporting Almeida just because he is very important to Pogacar. That is just lame for 3 reasons:
1 - Almeida trained 8 months to this moment. Are you really thinking he doesn't want to suffer for what he aimed for 8 months?
2 - Maybe, we are supporting him because we are not just Pogacar's fans (in my case I'm also a huge fan of Almeida btw) but we, as cycling fans, love this sport and what Almeida is doing is what represents cycling above everything else IMHO. Sacrifice, Cruelty, Resilience, Humility, Greatness, all these values must be cheered and supported!
3 - UAE already showed they care about their riders (like I believe other teams show the same thing). Ayuso quited the race 2 times in GTs after being ill/injured. In any moment, UAE forced him to race.

 

[Froome]

What a warrior.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Not looking good, unfortunately.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Time to go home mate.