João Almeida - Bota Lume

[YavorD]

Nobody saying he is content.

Likely he rides Tour as super-dom and then Vuelta as co-leader. I would think.

We have no idea about the schedule yet though.

Co-leader with Pogacar (assuming he goes to the Vuelta)? Good luck with that. I will be surprised if he doesn't ride the Giro especially if he's soo massively improved (which I don't really believe).

 

[Salvarani]

Co-leader with Pogacar (assuming he goes to the Vuelta)? Good luck with that. I will be surprised if he doesn't ride the Giro especially if he's soo massively improved (which I don't really believe).

We dont know yet what the schedule is for anyone. So it is pretty pointless to discuss it when dont know that and we dont know his level.

And if he can get a podium at both the Tour and/or the Vuelta. I would assume he would be pretty happy with it at this stage. Assuming he dont ride the Giro, which is still a possibility.

 

[YavorD]

We dont know yet what the schedule is for anyone. So it is pretty pointless to discuss it when dont know that and we dont know his level.

And if he can get a podium at both the Tour and/or the Vuelta. I would assume he would be pretty happy with it at this stage. Assuming he dont ride the Giro, which is still a possibility.

But if he's as good as podium contender (riding as a helper) he clearly is good enough to ride and win the Giro.
Giro (co-)leadership-Tour helping Pogacar makes the most sense for him imo.

That's of course assuming that Pogacar is riding the Vuelta, which seems very likely.

 

[Salvarani]

But if he's as good as podium contender (riding as a helper) he clearly is good enough to ride and win the Giro.
Giro (co-)leadership-Tour helping Pogacar makes the most sense for him imo.

That's of course assuming that Pogacar is riding the Vuelta, which seems very likely

As said, we dont know anything.

Maybe the team wants him at the Tour and himself wants that as well. They want him to be fresh for that, as that it is the most important objective.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I don't see how Almeida doesn't get a chance to ride a GT for himself (even as a co-leader with Ayuso) especially if he's improved. Don't know why he would be content to go for "small" one week stage races while Ayuso gets to lead a GT himself.

Ayuso is the pretty boy of Matxin even if his results are very off from what UAE expected 2 years ago.

 

[noob]

As said, we dont know anything.

Maybe the team wants him at the Tour and himself wants that as well. They want him to be fresh for that, as that it is the most important objective.

It was from here. Patrick got it from Italian press. Time stamp;

View: https://youtu.be/BL3D2YbwP24?si=ZmUAvTqSJDq-_3wd&t=2718


My point is just that if what Mou says is true it would still mean he would surpass Ayuso. I'm not saying anything is true. I'm just saying it doesn't make sense if both rumors were true. Hence I'm sceptic. Any predictions about the future is always in vain theoretically. But it's off season so we need something to talk about

 

[Peyroteo94]

Relegated for 4th in the hierarchy of UAE. I'm so disappointed...

 

[Salvarani]

So I was right... not that it was hard to predict at all though.

Tour and then likely the Vuelta it is for him.

Will be interesting to see if he can win any big one-week race as well.

 

[Froome]

Relegated for 4th in the hierarchy of UAE. I'm so disappointed...

That's what happens when you change teams because of money.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Relegated for 4th in the hierarchy of UAE. I'm so disappointed...

That's not how I interpret his schedule at all. If anything, I think it shows that he's 2nd in the hierarchy.

He wanted to do the Tour and a podium there is a big target for both him and UAE. It'll be tough, but it's not impossible. Riding for Pogacar doesn't change a thing partly because Pogacar is likely in a league on his own and doesn't need support anyway, and partly because Almeida rides the Almeida way no matter what. He wanted to do the Vuelta as well. His role will be the same as in the Tour, but with a real chance of winning of Pogacar doesn't go.

He gets to do all the one week races as a leader now.

Edit: his full schedule is btw:

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
Figueira Champions Classic
Vola ao Algarve
Paris-Nice
Itzulia Basque Country
Tour de Romandie
Tour de Suisse
Tour de France
Vuelta a Espana

 

[carolina]

Agreed. He didn't even need help Pogacar that much during the Tour. I think he has a real chance at the podium next year. Then he just needs some luck for the Vuelta, he can do a top 10 there, no problem.

Curious to see what people will say about Almeida rank inside UAE, if Ayuso fails to deliver a top 3 in the Giro next year...

 

[Earns1985]

That's not how I interpret his schedule at all. If anything, I think it shows that he's 2nd in the hierarchy.

He wanted to do the Tour and a podium there is a big target for both him and UAE. It'll be tough, but it's not impossible. Riding for Pogacar doesn't change a thing partly because Pogacar is likely in a league on his own and doesn't need support anyway, and partly because Almeida rides the Almeida way no matter what. He wanted to do the Vuelta as well. His role will be the same as in the Tour, but with a real chance of winning of Pogacar doesn't go.

He gets to do all the one week races as a leader now.

Edit: his full schedule is btw:

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
Figueira Champions Classic
Vola ao Algarve
Paris-Nice
Itzulia Basque Country
Tour de Romandie
Tour de Suisse
Tour de France
Vuelta a Espana

Yes, Pogacar´s spring schedule also means, that all the spring stage races except for UAE Tour will be there for riders like Almeida, Ayuso and Yates.

Because Ayuso and Yates likely have to peak in May for the giro, perhaps Almeida will be potentially the best stage racer of the team in March and April..

 

[Peyroteo94]

That's not how I interpret his schedule at all. If anything, I think it shows that he's 2nd in the hierarchy.

He wanted to do the Tour and a podium there is a big target for both him and UAE. It'll be tough, but it's not impossible. Riding for Pogacar doesn't change a thing partly because Pogacar is likely in a league on his own and doesn't need support anyway, and partly because Almeida rides the Almeida way no matter what. He wanted to do the Vuelta as well. His role will be the same as in the Tour, but with a real chance of winning of Pogacar doesn't go.

He gets to do all the one week races as a leader now.

Edit: his full schedule is btw:

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
Figueira Champions Classic
Vola ao Algarve
Paris-Nice
Itzulia Basque Country
Tour de Romandie
Tour de Suisse
Tour de France
Vuelta a Espana

But not in GTs.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Agreed. He didn't even need help Pogacar that much during the Tour. I think he has a real chance at the podium next year. Then he just needs some luck for the Vuelta, he can do a top 10 there, no problem.

Curious to see what people will say about Almeida rank inside UAE, if Ayuso fails to deliver a top 3 in the Giro next year...

If Roglic and Remco race the Giro, I agree with you.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

But not in GTs.

But he wants to do the Tour and the Vuelta. Will he get leadership in the Tour? Technically no because Pogacar, but he'll be able to ride his own chance anyway. If Pogacar does the Vuelta, the situation will be the same there, but if he doesn't, then Almeida will be the leader in the Vuelta.

Also, if Vingegaard (or Evenepoel or Roglic to some extend) indeed does the Giro, who's then better positioned, when the Giro win is off the table? Yates and Ayuso who can go for the podium in the Giro, or Almeida who can go for the podium in the Tour?

 

[hayneplane]

Arguably he gets a great opportunity this year as main leader in nearly every race pre TDF then given how Pog races he hardly has to do a scrap of work on the front of things go to plan and he will be able to ride for podium like a leader but without the external pressure of full team leadership.

 

[KZD]

I don't dislike the fact that Almeida is riding both Tour and Vuelta but I do worry that he will be racing too much.

If he rides the schedule above, he will arrive to the Tour with around 40 race days and 60 to the Vuelta which in my opinion is too much given that these should be his main targets of the season. On the flip side he should have a good chance of winning a World Tour one week stage race but going to a race like Valenciana makes little sense to me.

 

[noob]

I'm surprised this thread is so quiet. Maybe fans needs to be more delusional than we are to fill a thread?

 

[SHAD0W93]

I'm surprised this thread is so quiet. Maybe fans needs to be more delusional than we are to fill a thread?

Don’t jinx our boy!!!

 

[carolina]

I'm surprised this thread is so quiet. Maybe fans needs to be more delusional than we are to fill a thread?

After Comunitat Valenciana, can you blame us?

 

[Peyroteo94]

Almeida is known for his consistency but maybe I'm the only one to think he is not that consistent. We never know when he will deliver a good or bad performance. It is very annoying.

 

[noob]

Almeida is known for his consistency but maybe I'm the only one to think he is not that consistent. We never know when he will deliver a good or bad performance. It is very annoying.

It's funny bc it's true 🤣

I don't find it annoying though, but rather fun and exiting 🤣

 

[Peyroteo94]

It's funny bc it's true 🤣

I don't find it annoying though, but rather fun and exiting 🤣

As a portuguese (I know you are too), it is very annoying eheheh (specially on descents) but I also agree with you, it is thrilling to see him race.

 

[Peyroteo94]

He crumbles again when he is leading. Terrible effort from him.

 

[Victor S]

Bad TT and with that I mean his spreading of effort. How can you lose so much time after T1 when you are fighting to win general classification. Ok he climbed faster then Vingegaard and the rest of the field but the loses before where tremendous.