João Almeida - Bota Lume

[Salvarani]

Almeida needs to be better. Sick of blaming the team. With Ayuso this didn't happen.

Yeah, his awareness and positioning needs to be better. He can improve there on his own... but his team in this race arent helping much to protect him.

He has definitely improved strength-wise so far.

Interesting weekend ahead and going forward. He looks very good this year.

 

[YavorD]

Just as we spoke about Almeida's new level and he confirmed it today. Not even able to outclimb Pedersen on a MTF.

Really nothing new about his level. Still great at yo-yo-ing after setting his pace, still terrible at positioning and rather inconsistent.

 

[Salvarani]

Probably just the weather that played a part today and he did well to make it back in true fashion to finish with the group.

Tomorrow is where you make something stick, but he is also not the most attacking rider and the climbs arent long.

This race was lost in the TTT and crosswinds.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Almeida has improved every year, the only issue is he still hasn’t improved his weaknesses. He’s still bad at positioning, windy stages, and the cold. On windy stages he probably worsened since he left Quickstep.

Probably just the weather that played a part today and he did well to make it back in true fashion to finish with the group.

Tomorrow is where you make something stick, but he is also not the most attacking rider and the climbs arent long.

This race was lost in the TTT and crosswinds.

The TTT isn’t his fault but being poor in crosswinds is. Overall he did better than last year, and should top 5 the Tour again. It’ll just be if he can get over the hump and win TotBC, TdR, or TdS. Even worse that Ayuso looks like he’ll win TA.

 

[noob]

I've given up on following this race.

How does a rider almost never crash, but so often get caught behind?!

He clearly is stronger than his racing. So what is the issue?

Is it a lack of punch in legs or a lack of attention? Is the attention to stay on the bike vs read the race? Like a tunnel vision seeing only the immediate surroundings, but not the overall? Or everything or something completely different altogether?

 

[Netserk]

I've given up on following this race.

How does a rider almost never crash, but so often get caught behind?!

He clearly is stronger than his racing. So what is the issue?

Is it a lack of punch in legs or a lack of attention? Is the attention to stay on the bike vs read the race? Like a tunnel vision seeing only the immediate surroundings, but not the overall? Or everything or something completely different altogether?

Illness. A whole week with such weather and stress is not for him.

 

[Victor S]

Probably not feeling well yeah. He was not the same Almeida from stage 4 in these last 2 stages. I expected more from him today for sure.

 

[Peyroteo94]

He is always sick. His recovery is not good enough to win a GT.

 

[Froome]

He is always sick. His recovery is not good enough to win a GT.

But you said he was better this year some days ago.

 

[noob]

Illness. A whole week with such weather and stress is not for him.

Has it been confirmed? It's a misunderstanding that we get a cold from cold. We get it from coming indoors. Only if the virus is already inside our bodies do we get ill. Hence why masks, good ventilation etc makes sense.

 

[Netserk]

Has it been confirmed? It's a misunderstanding that we get a cold from cold. We get it from coming indoors. Only if the virus is already inside our bodies do we get ill. Hence why masks, good ventilation etc makes sense.

He said in an interview before the start today that he thought so. McNulty also abandoned early today because of illness.

 

[noob]

Btw did anyone see the interview where Pedersen said he's friends with Almeida?

Re previous discussions of Trek as a future possibility I thought it was interesting.

 

[SHAD0W93]

If he did get sick, he improved from his 11th last year and got a stage win. If he wants to win a big stage race or grand tour it has to all go right or he gets better at his weaknesses. Otherwise at UAE he will fall down the hierarchy. I can see him racing for Trek, Ineos, Bahrain, or Astana (depending on WT status).

Btw did anyone see the interview where Pedersen said he's friends with Almeida?

Re previous discussions of Trek as a future possibility I thought it was interesting.

It was posted in the PN race thread I think, by Netserk I believe.

 

[Netserk]

Btw did anyone see the interview where Pedersen said he's friends with Almeida?

Re previous discussions of Trek as a future possibility I thought it was interesting.

Same agency.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgn7q3xtvk

Mentions illness here:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYQLZbM33v8

 

[carolina]

On his instagram post about P-N he mentions that he was sick the last few days, but was very happy with his overall performance, specially the stage win.

 

[Salvarani]

On his instagram post about P-N he mentions that he was sick the last few days, but was very happy with his overall performance, specially the stage win.

The way he won that stage is promising, looked very strong.

 

[ExperienPT]

In a PT newspaper "Record"


João Almeida gives a positive assessment of the Paris-Nice, where he finished in sixth place and won a stage. He says that if it weren't for the bad weather, the final result could have been different.


"In the last two days, I've been sick. Today was the worst day, with a sore throat, a runny nose, body aches—everything to ruin this Paris-Nice week," the Emirates cyclist told Record.


"While I was in good health, I was one of the strongest in the race, but then I got sick due to the storms we faced, with snow and cold, which brought me down. Given these circumstances, I make a very positive assessment. Now it's time to recover and focus on the upcoming goals," João Almeida emphasized.


The Tour of the Basque Country and the Tour de Romandie, both in April, are his next races. He will also compete in the Tour de Suisse in June before tackling his second participation in the Tour de France.

 

[KZD]

Great solo today in Itzulia, he should win this race.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Almeida back on top!!! Just has to hold it together and the win is in the bag.

 

[Peyroteo94]

He is on a different level this year. Never showed these top performances before.

 

[hayneplane]

Best single stage performance of his career imo. Clearly got a very high level and just now needs to eliminate the brain snaps and being prone to getting sick.

 

[Offline]

Almeida > Ayuso

Almeida would also have won T-A and Catalunya

 

[Froome]

He is on a different level this year. Never showed these top performances before.

Not true. He did better than this in the past.

The competition is weak, that's why he is going to win.

 

[Rou]

Not true. He did better than this in the past.

The competition is weak, that's why he is going to win.

Very true. Vingegaard was also weak competition. That's why Almeida crushed him twice this year.

 

[Red Rick]

Twice he dropped Vingegaard after Vingegaard was being super aggro into a headwind. Today G2 had reknowned World Tour GC riders Champoussin and Aranburu in G2. Getting 25s over a 13 man group on a climb like this is not extraordinary.

I really don't see the big step on Almeida's part. He's been at the same level roughly since 2023, with small variations in results based on the competition he faces or if he happens to have to work for Pogacar.