Poor form like every rider who did the Giro. Still, his best feature (extreme energy and pace regulation) manages to get him in top 10. I'm predicting a bad TT tomorrow. Team should consider attack with him in a breakway in Sierra Nevada stage if Ayuso doesn't crack till there.
Agree and it was kind of expected that none of the doble Giro/Vuelta GC riders would be in peak form. As today Yates and Almeida are the best of the Giro riders bunch.
I'll also want to give the benefit of the doubt to Almeida to be fair, because he was recovering from covid and unable to do an optimal preparation for LA Vuelta.
Despite also predicting a not so good itt (because of current form and because he's slightly worse at itt since leaving QS) still expect him to have the 3rd/4th best time within the GC contenders (behind Remco/Roglic and maybe Yates). Would be a surprise if Rodriguez or Ayuso could beat him in a 30k flat itt but possible. Enric Mas out of the question, i expect Almeida to put around 1 minute to the spaniard.
As for a possible breakaway in Sierra Nevada, QS, Jumbo, Movistar and Ineos won't allow that to happen, he is still a threat for the GC and if allowed to be in a breakaway group in a stage like the Sierra Nevada he could end up being in the mix for a top3 for the final GC. Remco even not allowed Carapaz to go on a break, he surely won't allow it to Almeida.
What i expect for Sierra Nevada if the GC remains as it is atm, is an Ayuso/Almeida attack at some point of the final climb, with one of them being sacrificed for the benefit of the other.
If he does improve in the 2nd week he probably end up with a Top5 which in these conditions would be a good result for him.
Expect some kind of improvement from him in the next season being probably again UAE team leader for "Il Giro" and working as a domestique for Pogacar in TDF