João Almeida - Bota Lume

[QueenStagiaire]

Bad troll is bad.

Oh, come on, you don‘t have to put yourself down like that.

 

[CyclistAbi]

I see that in this thread some people have the same problems. Watching a marathon and complaining on why was there no Bolt today.

 

[Scarponi]

He‘s third at 22 seconds, stop pretending he can‘t win and is just an interesting also-ran. He’s racing a Roglič who admits he‘s not 100% and Geraint f‘ing Thomas who is 36. If he ever wants to win a GT, this Giro is going to be one of his best shots.

I do not expect epic mountain raids from him but if he had his teammates set whatever pace they can manage and then attacked like 5 k out, he might discover that his opponents are just bluffing and don‘t have it in them to respond. So what if they get back to him and he loses a few seconds, he‘ll at least know his competition better and afterwards he can just go back to riding for his precious fourth places.

It wasn’t a specific shot at him just in general, especially like the Carthy raid there was never going to gain him a minute. I agree with you in this Giro of all the GTs he’s been in, I’d rather go all in here and lose and come 4th then say I never tried against the old man and the injured favourite

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I must say, besides Stage 18 at last year’s Vuelta, Joao is an incredibly boring rider. He should really try some attacks.

Like you said. he's 3rd at 22s. There is no reason for him to take any risks now. And if there's one thing he has proven to be good at, it's pacing himself. I wouldn't rule it out that he beats Thomas and Roglic on stage 20. If Roglic and Thomas start duking it out earlier, he might sit back and watch before doing one of his typical comeback attacks in the final 2k.

 

[groogster]

Like you said. he's 3rd at 22s. There is no reason for him to take any risks now. And if there's one thing he has proven to be good at, it's pacing himself. I wouldn't rule it out that he beats Thomas and Roglic on stage 20. If Roglic and Thomas start duking it out earlier, he might sit back and watch before doing one of his typical comeback attacks in the final 2k.

True but waiting eagerly for tomorrow's stage just because that's the type of stage profile where Almeida tend to disappoint. If he goes to the 2nd rest day within the same time that he has atm to Thomas and Roglic I think that he truly has a shot for winning this Giro.

 

[Landeirovic]

almeida looks super strong! speeded up the climb with a powerful attack. knowing that week 3 is usually his best week i seems really on track to win the Giro. I can really see him lashing out in the ITT like Pogacar on LPDB

 

[wheresmybrakes]

It would be great if he could take this Giro and show QS they banked on the wrong guy for GT's. I hope he comes out of the rest day in good shape and his team go all in for him.

 

[noob]

It would be great if he could take this Giro and show QS they banked on the wrong guy for GT's. I hope he comes out of the rest day in good shape and his team go all in for him.

Banked on the wrong guy because he got covid? I'm no particular Remco fan but that's a weird idea considering Almeida is where he is because Remco had to leave

 

[carolina]

It would be great if he could take this Giro and show QS they banked on the wrong guy for GT's. I hope he comes out of the rest day in good shape and his team go all in for him.

Even if João wins the Giro and Remco never gets to win a GT again, Lefevere did the right thing by keeping Remco. He's much more marketable for the team and he still manages to win a lot of important races during the season.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Banked on the wrong guy because he got covid? I'm no particular Remco fan but that's a weird idea considering Almeida is where he is because Remco had to leave

One extra place up the standings? I think there was more to it than just covid, but that is just my opinion. Out of 3 GT's, he finished 1 (yes he won). Doesn't prove he would have got through this last week in the pink jersey, regardless if he had about 2/3 minutes with his ITT's. I think Almeida would have bettered him this week.

 

[RedheadDane]

First GT stage win.

 

[KZD]

Deserved to see him finally getting a stage win on a Grand Tour and he is my pick for the overall too.

 

[noob]

The face he made *after* winning. No happiness in sight, just primal screams

 

[SafeBet]

So happy for him. Now let's figure out a plan to drop G.

 

[carolina]

He'll end the week in pink for sure. Super strong!

 

[Peyroteo94]

Yes yes!!! C'mon João!! Show your portuguese material to those foreign fellas! What a great day to be alive!

 

[Devil's Elbow]

It's on. The big question now (assuming Roglic doesn't successfully fight back) is whether he or Thomas will deal better with the really steep gradients, as that will define both Tre Cime and the MTT and with it the GC.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Great ride today, was decisive in putting his team on the front when JV faltered and then not afraid to go for it himself. Deserved a first GT win. The Giro just got a whole lot more interesting.

 

[groogster]

Yes yes!!! C'mon João!! Show your portuguese material to those foreign fellas! What a great day to be alive!

Yes, one of the most amazing sporting days of my life!! Botalume

 

[Valv.Piti]

Now lets see Joao Almeida's card.

*Roglic shaking and sweating*

 

[Mayomaniac]

So happy for him. Now let's figure out a plan to drop G.

To me it looked like Buffalo Thomas only attacked once the gradients got a bit less steep, I think Almeida has a shot at beating him on the really steep stuff like Tre Cime and Lussari.

 

[Didinho]

Has he bought a bag already? He can put this one in it.

 

[noob]

Now can we change the name of this thread?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I just... dont know what the view is on Almeida? Why is there this idea that the harder the better for him?

To me he just doesnt have the positive outliers to win this

If Roglic doesn't improve then who knows? It's plausible that Almeida and Thomas will stay very close to each other and then everything can happen in the final ITT.

 

[Offline]

YEES!! This 3rd week going to be all this the 2nd wasn't!