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João Almeida - Bota Lume

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groogster

May 18, 2021
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groogster said:
Some insights about what to expect from UAE and Almeida at 2023 "Giro d' Italia".

Portuguese cycling site "TopCycling" went to UAE Media Day and their Journalist, Gonçalo Moreira, stayed with them a few days to give an insight about what to expect from both UAE and Almeida. They interviewed, Almeida, Matxin and Íñigo San Millán (Ayuso, Pogacar and Almeida performance coach). That's what they had to say.

Almeida

As an objective again Top3 at "Giro" but much more confident with the change of gear from Campagnolo to Shimano, the Wheels to Enve and new Continental tyres. He stated that changing their GPS to Wahoo will be, in his case, a major improvement because last season he couldn´t see the road map during descents, making him worse at descending in some stages due to the lack of confidence.
He also said that last season he didn't ride a lot on his TT bike which will not be the case this season.
As for the team for the Giro he said that this season he will have the domestiques riding with him in preparation for the Italian GT. One of the most important ones will be Jay Vine that will race with Almeida in all the same races prior to the Giro. Also Covi and Ulissi will ride always with him.
It was also implied during the interview with Almeida that this Giro will be kind of "all or nothing" because from 2024 Almeida will shift to TDF.
Something strange about Il Giro goals for Almeida was that while Almeida said that the objective is to finish Top3, Matxin and Inigo believe in the victory so... :oops:

Matxin

Matxin said that they are aware of the cristics made by the media about UAE tactics in the last Giro, having stated that it seemed that was every man for himself and that Almeida should have more help in the mountains. He confirmed that there isn't any doubt in the team that Almeida will be the leader for the Giro and that all the riders will have to work for him.
He guaranteed a balanced team in terms of climbers and rolleurs to help Almeida achieving his objective.
He said that the race strategy for the UAE team at the italian race will be more in line with what happened at last year "La Vuelta" but also said that they will have individual goals for all the riders with the freedom to go on breaks at any given stage so we can expect more of the same from UAE :smirk:

As for Almeida racing calendar he will ride at:

  • "challenge mallorca" where it's expected to ride only 3 of the 5 days
  • Algarve
  • Tirreno
  • Catalunya
  • Sierra Nevada Training Camp
  • Giro
Íñigo San Millán

He said that Almeida is very capable of doing well both at iTT and climbing, not losing much time to a bigger rider like Ganna and still being able to climb with the best riders at the mountains and he is expecting better iTT from Almeida than last season.

We will have a much more accurate idea about Almeida´s chances for the Giro during the Sierra Nevada training camp just before the start of the Italian GT because Inigo is expecting significant better lactate threshold results from Almeida than last year.
Click to expand...
Just wanted to bring this old post in this thread.

As far as iTT... it seems right on track with Inigo San Millán predictions at the time who said that he was expecting better results from Almeida in 2023

As far as watts per kilo after this last preparation camp at Sierra Nevada, all i can say is that his results were better than last years (don´t have the real watts/K and lactate threshold results but a close enough and reliable source assured me that), once again as pointed by San Millán after finishing Sierra Nevada training camp last year.

He also told me that the official stand by UAE is top 3 but internally they believe he can do better!

It will be enough for the likes of Evenepoel and Roglic? IMO certainly not in normal circunstances but lets wait to see what the road will bring us in the next days.

I'm confident that he is at least as strong as Tao (who seems very sharp this season) for the 3rd spot in the podium.
 
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Logic-is-your-friend

Logic-is-your-friend

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groogster said:
Just wanted to bring this old post in this thread.

As far as iTT... it seems right on track with Inigo San Millán predictions at the time who said that he was expecting better results from Almeida in 2023

As far as watts per kilo after this last preparation camp at Sierra Nevada, all i can say is that his results were better than last years (don´t have the real watts/K and lactate threshold results but a close enough and reliable source assured me that), once again as pointed by San Millán after finishing Sierra Nevada training camp last year.

He also told me that the official stand by UAE is top 3 but internally they believe he can do better!

It will be enough for the likes of Evenepoel and Roglic? IMO certainly not in normal circunstances but lets wait to see what the road will bring us in the next days.

I'm confident that he is at least as strong as Tao (who seems very sharp this season) for the 3rd spot in the podium.
Click to expand...
I wonder if the Vine situation hasn't changed since your previous post. On the TT bike it's clear their new setup and focussing again on TT has improved his result drastically.
 
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Pistolas

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15s lost by another bad position at the start of climb. Near the finish he was at the front of Ineos guys and then didn't had the legs to follow. He is on the best form ever, but still continues to do too many tactical errors.
 
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groogster

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Sciatic said:
Can we really say it’s bad positioning when it just seems like it’s riding style? Did Sastre ride similarly (always from the back)?
Click to expand...
It's true that his riding style makes him not to react to sudden changes of pace but in todays stage he wasn't nowhere near where he should have been by the time Roglic attacked. What we have to question is if he wasn't there because the set pace was to much for his physical limits or simply because he lacks the positioning and reading skills of where he has to be at those crucial moments!
When Roglic launched his attack Almeida was the fifteenth rider in the peloton! He was behind 1 Jumbo, 2 Bora, 1 QS, 1 DSM, 4 Ineos, 3 Bahrein, 1 Jayco and 1 EF rider!
That meant that he had to spent much more energy to be able to get to the front where he arrived just at the top of the climb when he closed the gap to Remco, Tao and Geraint just to be almost immediatly confronted with an attack from Tao and Geraint without giving him time to rest a bit.
I´m almost certain that with a better positioning he would had a great chance of follow Tao and Greaint on their wheels and get to Roglic
 
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groogster

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Just want to take it out of my chest after seing today's Almeida performance!
Almeida you must find your "nuts"!
He simply showed in the technical parts of the iTT to much fear of hitting the deck! it's impossible to aim for a GT riding that way! He simply lost almost all of the time until T1, after T1 and until the finish line he had only marginal losses for the likes of Evenepoel, Geraint, and Tao, which shows that he had the legs for doing better but his mindset wasn't in the "let's go all in" and win this!
Sure, now more then ever after Evenepoel abandon Il Giro, that he will finish within Top5 but he will never be a GT winner unless he changes his mindset!!
And no, it's not related with V02 Max and Watts per Kilo!!
 
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groogster said:
Just want to take it out of my chest after seing today's Almeida performance!
Almeida you must find your "nuts"!
He simply showed in the technical parts of the iTT to much fear of hitting the deck! it's impossible to aim for a GT riding that way! He simply lost almost all of the time until T1, after T1 and until the finish line he had only marginal losses for the likes of Evenepoel, Geraint, and Tao, which shows that he had the legs for doing better but his mindset wasn't in the "let's go all in" and win this!
Sure, now more then ever after Evenepoel abandon Il Giro, that he will finish within Top5 but he will never be a GT winner unless he changes his mindset!!
And no, it's not related with V02 Max and Watts per Kilo!!
Click to expand...
Spot on. Minimise risk approach at every racing moment (blowing up climbing, risk descending and fighting for positioning) is preventing him to step up and achieve victories.
 
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Elos Anjos

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groogster said:
Just want to take it out of my chest after seing today's Almeida performance!
Almeida you must find your "nuts"!
He simply showed in the technical parts of the iTT to much fear of hitting the deck! it's impossible to aim for a GT riding that way! He simply lost almost all of the time until T1, after T1 and until the finish line he had only marginal losses for the likes of Evenepoel, Geraint, and Tao, which shows that he had the legs for doing better but his mindset wasn't in the "let's go all in" and win this!
Sure, now more then ever after Evenepoel abandon Il Giro, that he will finish within Top5 but he will never be a GT winner unless he changes his mindset!!
And no, it's not related with V02 Max and Watts per Kilo!!
Click to expand...
That's true, but it was a rainy day. Would you have the same opinion if he fell and lost more time or was besieged by a broken bone?

I agree with the bad position, but I don't think it's related with lack of nuts. That's just stupid macho thinking.
 
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groogster

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Elos Anjos said:
That's true, but it was a rainy day. Would you have the same opinion if he fell and lost more time or was besieged by a broken bone?

I agree with the bad position, but I don't think it's related with lack of nuts. That's just stupid macho thinking.
Click to expand...
Just wanted to point that if your goal is to win you have to take risks, that's what Tao and Geraint did in the technical parts of the iTT. Almeida on the opposite didn't want to take any risks. In all the turns and roundabouts he may have well lost 10/15 seconds to the competition.
If the goal is to be in the podium it could be enough but not for having a shot of winning!
Just my thoughts and nothing to do with macho thinking!
 
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Elos Anjos

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groogster said:
Just wanted to point that if your goal is to win you have to take risks, that's what Tao and Geraint did in the technical parts of the iTT. Almeida on the oppostive didn't want to take any risks. In all the turns and roundabouts he may have well lost 10/15 seconds to the competition.
If the goal is to be in the podium it could be enough but not for having a shot of winning!
Just my thoughts and nothing to do with macho thinking!
Click to expand...
I agree overall with risk taking being a necessary element for winning against riders that are similar in terms of W/Kg and the like.
But that doesn't warrant that any rider should always take risks. He has to judge when and how it's worth risking and that judgment comes with experience.
So it's not true that Almeida lacks balls if he didn't risk bending corners during a rainy TT.
 
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