- Nov 16, 2013
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He had some other good performances on TTs last year. Also in the UAE Tour (admittedly a rather short one), Tirreno, Catalunya, Poland and Luxembourg.
He has definitely not been that good this year.
He had some other good performances on TTs last year. Also in the UAE Tour (admittedly a rather short one), Tirreno, Catalunya, Poland and Luxembourg.
He has definitely not been that good this year.
Training and equipment change. But today was mainly lack of form.
Disagree, until the end of last season and regarding GC riders he was second to none besides Remco, Roglic and Pogacar. It's not like we are talking here about 2 or 3 good tt's since joining WT, but 2 full seasons. Now he even lost a 30k flat time trial against Mas! Even without the error which cost him easily 20 seconds he would be behind Mas! That is simply shocking in my eyes!
He's obviously off form at this Vuelta, as any other riders that are doing Giro/Vuelta double without exceptions (btw he's only after Yates and look where Hindley, Carapaz and Landa stand atm), but seeing this season iTTs from Almeida it's underwhelming and maybe already pointing for a new normal in the future.
It can be related with his bike setup/change of gear from QS or maybe the balance in this season preparation regarding climbing/itt, who knows!
We see it next season where will he stand.
- Jun 7, 2011
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I don't know, seems like you are mostly agreeing with what i said. He was never in Remco's league (look at ECC, even OG TT which was bad for Remco) and today he would have lost around 1m50s in a 30k TT. That's not far off of what i expected after his other UAE TT's. Had he still been at QS, he would have been 50s faster and nearly as fast as Roglic.
In peak form, as far as he doesn't have to fight against Poga/Vinge/Roglic/Evenepoel (Bernal?) all at once he surely can achieve top3 in a GT. But we can say the same for guys like (some of them already did it and some even won it), Ben O'connor, Landa, Hindley, Yates, MAL, Mas, Bardet, Thomas, Vlasov, Gaudu.
He's on the verge of knocking at a top3 GT but still needs to improve his positioning and put a little more watts per Kilo in longer than 40 minutes high gradients efforts for that. (already does it very well at lower gradientes (6% to 8%) in shorter climbing efforts +- 30 minutes)
Can he improve? Yes he can but so the others and we are starting to see the lights of new guys like Rodriguez, Ayuso, Arensman climbing up the ranks.
- Jul 7, 2013
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- Jun 7, 2011
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Joao may soon start regretting he left QS for UAE.
I agree with you almost entirely besides that you said he was overrated in itt, but i don't see it that way looking at his first 2 seasons, obviously not in the same league as Evenepoel or prime Roglic, but close enough to Pogacar and better than any other GC rider), he was better at QS in itt, and don't think, looking only at his current season, that what he lost at itt was gained at climbing (I think that he was at his absolute peak form until now at last year giro, so i'll give credit to QS for that)
As far as domestiques support, once again, i have to admit that until now he is in worst position than he would be at QS.
I even think that he would be way better at QS at this point because i believe that Lefevere would give him a GT per season with good riders besides him.
Now i´m starting to fear that next season he will be relegated to 3rd rider behind Poga and Ayuso, which would be very sad for him and the first step to become a domestique.
But let's see what future brings, all in all he's not performing very badly looking at all those doube Giro/Vuelta GC riders, in his defense i have to say that he DNF Giro with covid and had his preparation delayed because of that so...
Maybe he's already having seconds thoughts about it. But now it's to late until 2026 he has to eat what he sow! And if he is truly a champion he will train harder to grow stronger like everybody else, it's not like his wages are like ours!
- Aug 9, 2021
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In a way it is funny; he always talked about wanting s long career and wanting to last long as a rider and hence didn'twant to do things like 2 GT GC a season. So why did he have to force the leadership thing instead of having it happen organically? Like I just guess it would've taken a lot of pressure off his shoulders while he could still improve anyway.
His ambition got the best of him I'd guess. Possibly bad advisor. I just remember the discussion in this thread about why he shouldn't have left QS.
Imo though if Ayuso surpasses him this vuelta I'd considered sending Ayuso as a coleader with Pog to TdF to counter Jumbo coleadership.
That might be smarter than taking Almeida to the tour as a domestique. Even if I guess Almeida would top 10 at the tour as well.
Funny enough taking Ayuso as a coleader at the tour wouod literally be copying Jonas who also only had had a vuelta and then went as coleader to the turtle next year.
Plus such a TdF could be really fun to watch
His ambition got the best of him I'd guess. Possibly bad advisor. I just remember the discussion in this thread about why he shouldn't have left QS.
Imo though if Ayuso surpasses him this vuelta I'd considered sending Ayuso as a coleader with Pog to TdF to counter Jumbo coleadership.
That might be smarter than taking Almeida to the tour as a domestique. Even if I guess Almeida would top 10 at the tour as well.
Funny enough taking Ayuso as a coleader at the tour wouod literally be copying Jonas who also only had had a vuelta and then went as coleader to the turtle next year.
Plus such a TdF could be really fun to watch
- Jan 8, 2020
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No way Ayuso is ready for Tour co-leadership next year, but your psychological analysis of Almeida seems spot on.In a way it is funny; he always talked about wanting s long career and wanting to last long as a rider and hence didn'twant to do things like 2 GT GC a season. So why did he have to force the leadership thing instead of having it happen organically? Like I just guess it would've taken a lot of pressure off his shoulders while he could still improve anyway.
His ambition got the best of him I'd guess. Possibly bad advisor. I just remember the discussion in this thread about why he shouldn't have left QS.
Imo though if Ayuso surpasses him this vuelta I'd considered sending Ayuso as a coleader with Pog to TdF to counter Jumbo coleadership.
That might be smarter than taking Almeida to the tour as a domestique. Even if I guess Almeida would top 10 at the tour as well.
Funny enough taking Ayuso as a coleader at the tour wouod literally be copying Jonas who also only had had a vuelta and then went as coleader to the turtle next year.
Plus such a TdF could be really fun to watch
In a way it is funny; he always talked about wanting s long career and wanting to last long as a rider and hence didn'twant to do things like 2 GT GC a season. So why did he have to force the leadership thing instead of having it happen organically? Like I just guess it would've taken a lot of pressure off his shoulders while he could still improve anyway.
His ambition got the best of him I'd guess. Possibly bad advisor. I just remember the discussion in this thread about why he shouldn't have left QS.
Imo though if Ayuso surpasses him this vuelta I'd considered sending Ayuso as a coleader with Pog to TdF to counter Jumbo coleadership.
That might be smarter than taking Almeida to the tour as a domestique. Even if I guess Almeida would top 10 at the tour as well.
Funny enough taking Ayuso as a coleader at the tour wouod literally be copying Jonas who also only had had a vuelta and then went as coleader to the turtle next year.
Plus such a TdF could be really fun to watch
I don't think that he wanted to be at this Vuelta, i guess it was an UAE decision that he had to do it!
As for Ayuso, he might do Vuelta next season as a leader, that's my bet. But won't be surprised if he wants to go to Giro instead which would put UAE with a problem in hands. I'm almost certain that UAE will put Almeida as Domestique for Pogacar in TDF next year (There's no available good mountain domestiques for signing atm). For him to be in conditions to be the last man working for Poga it probably means no Giro but let's wait and see.
- Aug 9, 2021
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Well ironically Ayuso isn't any less experienced than Jonas was 2021, rather the other way around
- Jan 8, 2020
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Yea, but he's younger and would lose big time in the TTs.Well ironically Ayuso isn't any less experienced than Jonas was 2021, rather the other way around
- Aug 9, 2021
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I've been thinking in the same direction that maybe he didn't want to go to vuelta now.
But then I thought maybe he himself wanted another chance after covid taking his giro.
I'm pretty sure that he wanted to rest after covid and do a slow preparation towards the end of season for races like Lombardia and Giro dell' Emilia.
But was all set for him to race with Pogacar in La Vuelta and after the decision of Pogacar not racing in Spain, made for UAE the presence of Almeida in La Vuelta "sim" ou "sim".
Almeida said that? Didn't knew it, when and to whom? So it means no Giro for him next season?
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- May 17, 2013
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At least he didn't knock himself out of the race due to a cork of Prosecco...
Joao had an opportunity today, he was OK but not great, and I hope that the blunder will not haunt him. Every second counts. WTF!
Simon knows who he is and where he's at, Mas will defend, as always, Rodriguez is there, and if you want a shot at Ayuso, take it now: in two years, forget about it.
I hope that Joao Almeida is p!ssed off tonight, and it may be a good thing because at some point he needs to make a move if he has any GC hope. Attrition only will not get him there and stage wins from the GC group are not easy pickings. Losing time, getting a stage win is probably too late.
Find your spot and hit it hard. Go Joao!
Joao had an opportunity today, he was OK but not great, and I hope that the blunder will not haunt him. Every second counts. WTF!
Simon knows who he is and where he's at, Mas will defend, as always, Rodriguez is there, and if you want a shot at Ayuso, take it now: in two years, forget about it.
I hope that Joao Almeida is p!ssed off tonight, and it may be a good thing because at some point he needs to make a move if he has any GC hope. Attrition only will not get him there and stage wins from the GC group are not easy pickings. Losing time, getting a stage win is probably too late.
Find your spot and hit it hard. Go Joao!
- Sep 29, 2013
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Marco Chagas said it on RTP during the Tour. He spoke with João.
He can still do the Giro, we don't know.
- Sep 29, 2013
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I don't see any problem with him doing Giro-Tour.
To be honest, he's so bad at positioning himself that he won't be a great domestique for Pogacar.
To be honest, he's so bad at positioning himself that he won't be a great domestique for Pogacar.
- Aug 9, 2021
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I agree with everything here. As long as they don't send Ayuso to the giro too.
I would guess they won't send a 20 year old to 2 GT's yet, so the Vuelta will likely be the one Ayuso get sent to again next year.
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