João Almeida - Bota Lume

[Pirazziattacks]

A post full of nonsenses if you ask me.
He’s on a contract with UAE until 2026 so don’t know what you are talking about.
Don’t understand what you mean calling him a diminutive climber? He surely hasn’t anything diminutive in him, surely not the best climber in the WT but way above average, besides he’s atm 1 of the top 10 GC riders in the peloton. Easily 2nd tier class GC rider, just clearly lacking to Poga, Vinge, Roglic, Evenepoel and before crash Bernal. With potential to be in close contention with any of the other GC riders so very capable of podium a GT in the future.
As for not being punchy I think he’s punchy enough. Just wasn’t at the best of forms in the first half of this GT and I think that Covid had something to do with it. As we saw today he’s getting better and with a chance of ending top5 which isn’t to bad.

Really odd post. What do you think diminutive means exactly?

Anyway I refer you to the Cadel comparison. A rider being capable of making one or two efforts isn't the same as being able to repeat them. Almeida clearly can't do that , which is why he has to ride at his own pace so often.

As for his future, that's up to UAE but if he doesn't pull out a big result soon I'd be surprised if he hasn't already slipped down the pecking order.

 

[SHAD0W93]

I don´t know if you are portuguese or not, but marco chagas former rider and journalist from rtp portugal, said that spoke to joao almeida about his calendar for next year. And he said that next year he will be with pogacar at the tour france.

And it makes sense. Ayuso should be the leader at the giro. Joao almeida doesn't have the capability to win a grand tour (he can do top 10), so it makes sense to put him working for pogacar, because he will need help.
Ayuso is a different animal, he can win grand tours next year. Joao almeida is not a elite rider, he have a lot of weaknesses, that make difficult for him to win a grand tour.

I'm not a hater of joao almeida because i'm also portuguese, but we need to be honest in the evaluation of the riders.

I don’t know what you’ve been watching but if Almeida keeps progressing he absolutely can win the Giro or Vuelta. At the least always a threat for podium to top 5 in both while Tour it depends on how it is raced.

 

[Landeirovic]

I don´t know if you are portuguese or not, but marco chagas former rider and journalist from rtp portugal, said that spoke to joao almeida about his calendar for next year. And he said that next year he will be with pogacar at the tour france.

And it makes sense. Ayuso should be the leader at the giro. Joao almeida doesn't have the capability to win a grand tour (he can do top 10), so it makes sense to put him working for pogacar, because he will need help.
Ayuso is a different animal, he can win grand tours next year. Joao almeida is not a elite rider, he have a lot of weaknesses, that make difficult for him to win a grand tour.

I'm not a hater of joao almeida because i'm also portuguese, but we need to be honest in the evaluation of the riders.

come on man! Almeida is barely 24 years old. how many riders of 24 can say they are in 4 grand tours. already became 4th and 6th in the Giro. knowing that he had also finished top 4 this year and that in all likelihood he will finish top 5 this Vuelta. Finished 3 big rounds and 3x a big top 10. By the way Uae makes the programs for next year in December. it seems to me a total nonsense that they already know their program in August! By the way, Pogacar himself is hesitating to ride the Giro. in December everything will become clear and the programs will be online!

 

[groogster]

I don´t know if you are portuguese or not, but marco chagas former rider and journalist from rtp portugal, said that spoke to joao almeida about his calendar for next year. And he said that next year he will be with pogacar at the tour france.

And it makes sense. Ayuso should be the leader at the giro. Joao almeida doesn't have the capability to win a grand tour (he can do top 10), so it makes sense to put him working for pogacar, because he will need help.
Ayuso is a different animal, he can win grand tours next year. Joao almeida is not a elite rider, he have a lot of weaknesses, that make difficult for him to win a grand tour.

I'm not a hater of joao almeida because i'm also portuguese, but we need to be honest in the evaluation of the riders.

Well I'm Portuguese, those declarations from Almeida to Marco Chagas were brought to my attention by Carolina and yes he will be at TDF but I can assure you (unless something out of the ordinary happens at the beginning of next season like an injury) that he will also be at the Giro and as a team leader. Ayuso (and that's only my common sense evaluation) will be at La Vuelta (no way that the hotest prospect of spanish cycling could be missing La Vuelta) probably as a team leader or co-leader and will not be at The Giro.

 

[rm2021]

I don’t know what you’ve been watching but if Almeida keeps progressing he absolutely can win the Giro or Vuelta. At the least always a threat for podium to top 5 in both while Tour it depends on how it is raced.

They have ayuso and pogacar that are better than him. Pogacar will need more help, what do you think that will happen?!
They have 2 riders to win grand tours. Ayuso and pogacar. They don't need joao almeida to make top 10 at grand tours when they have ayuso and pogacar with the capability of win grand tours. He's gonna work for them, unfortunately.....

 

[groogster]

Really odd post. What do you think diminutive means exactly?

Anyway I refer you to the Cadel comparison. A rider being capable of making one or two efforts isn't the same as being able to repeat them. Almeida clearly can't do that , which is why he has to ride at his own pace so often.

As for his future, that's up to UAE but if he doesn't pull out a big result soon I'd be surprised if he hasn't already slipped down the pecking order.

I understould "diminutive" in the context you used it as Almeida not being a great climber or a not so important climber, which in my view doesn't correspond to reality. Is he the best? surely not, not even close, but as a GC contender a very good climber for certain

You are speaking of efforts, but i think we can speak as change of pace, and yes he chooses often for not responding to those, but he can surely can as he proved more then once in the past.

As for being relegated inside UAE in the pecking order, it's very possible, it will depend on the performances of both him and Ayuso in the near future, and that's the way it should be. If Ayuso proves he's a better rider for GC it's only fair.
Despite that, and imo a little premature to make that judgment so soon.
I agree that it's time for Almeida to show he's able to do a top3 in a GT. (He would probably had already one by now if he didn't catch covid this year in the Giro because he was 4th overall after stage 17 with a gap of 4 minutes to Nibali in 5th and behind 49 seconds to Landa in 3rd with an itt on the last stage)

 

[rm2021]

I don’t know what you’ve been watching but if Almeida keeps progressing he absolutely can win the Giro or Vuelta. At the least always a threat for podium to top 5 in both while Tour it depends on how it is raced.

And what progress? almeida is worst at everything this year. He's worst at ITT, descents, always in a bad position at the peloton, even in the mountains he never achieved the level of last year. He's always been dropped.

 

[groogster]

They have ayuso and pogacar that are better than him. Pogacar will need more help, what do you think that will happen?!
They have 2 riders to win grand tours. Ayuso and pogacar. They don't need joao almeida to make top 10 at grand tours when they have ayuso and pogacar with the capability of win grand tours. He's gonna work for them, unfortunately.....

So glad you have all that marvellous insights of what will happen in the future. BTW he's older then Ayuso but just turned 24 so he can surely improve and if you ask me it doesn't need to be a massive improvement for him to be able to have a shot for the win in a GT. He's already a rider capable of doing a top3 in a GT.
The prospect of Ayuso having a greater treshold than Almeida seems atm likely if he improves like we are expecting of him. It's also more likely for Ayuso to reach Pogacar, Vinge and Evenepoel level then Almeida for sure

 

[SHAD0W93]

And what progress? almeida is worst at everything this year. He's worst at ITT, descents, always in a bad position at the peloton, even in the mountains he never achieved the level of last year. He's always been dropped.

Almeida also was a threat for the Giro podium before getting sick and has had bad prep for Vuelta as had been stated. I also said I can see him working for Pogacar but that he would lead the Giro first and help Pogacar second, as was origins planned. It’s too early for Ayuso to ride the Giro in my opinion. Let him get another year experience in the Vuelta and go in 2024.

 

[groogster]

Almeida also was a threat for the Giro podium before getting sick and has had bad prep for Vuelta as had been stated. I also said I can see him working for Pogacar but that he would lead the Giro first and help Pogacar second, as was origins planned. It’s too early for Ayuso to ride the Giro in my opinion. Let him get another year experience in the Vuelta and go in 2024.

Besides being 19 years old, Ayuso still needs to keep growing into a GT winner, which he will eventually be.
Is it likely that he will do 2 GTs in one year at 19/20 years old? No it is not. Is it likely that he will ride the Giro and skip La Vuelta, no it is not!
So he will do some 1 week races next season maybe already as a leader or co-leader with the aim of being in peak form for La Vuelta where he could be leader or co-leader.
ATM is Almeida more reliable for a GT then Ayuso? Despite Ayuso showing great reliability at this Vuelta, very similar to Almeida in his first GT, which is simply amazing because younger than Almeida was I think that atm Almeida gives UAE more insurance regarding that!

As far as potential there's no doubt that Ayuso atm seems to have a greater threshold then Almeida.

They are atm at a very similar level, Ayuso being a little better in those short and more explosive climbs and Almeida a little better in those long and steady climbs with gradients between 6% and 8%. They have a similar itt level. As we speak Ayuso seems better suited for a GT profile like La Vuelta and Almeida better suited for a GT profile like The Giro.

 

[groogster]

And what progress? almeida is worst at everything this year. He's worst at ITT, descents, always in a bad position at the peloton, even in the mountains he never achieved the level of last year. He's always been dropped.

A little worst at itt yes. As far as climbing it doesn't seem much better than he was last year but until stage 17 of this Year´s Giro enough for being at 3rd in GC. The minute that he lost to Hindley, Carapaz and Landa was more related to covid than anything else having Maxtin said that we wasn't putting the numbers at that stage that he was used to until that day.

 

[noob]

Quite impressive after all.

 

[groogster]

Quite impressive after all.

Not bad in the end, out of contention way to soon because of bad form especially during first week. Improving half way
through this Vuelta. He could have done top3 if on form since the beginning .
None of the GC guys looked stronger than him besides Evenepoel and Mas, with Ayuso, MAL and Rodriguez before the crash being on par with him. Let's hope he can improve next year but i'm betting a Top3 in a GT next season.

 

[carolina]

He was great this week. I really hope he improves the TT for next year.

He's doing Worlds, 2 races in Italy and then Lombardia. Let's see how it goes.

 

[ice&fire]

His biggest achievment this Vuelta may have been making Soler working for him.

 

[Tonton]

Respect to Joao. Chapeau for that top-5, he did more to shake the top-10 than anyone. He's brave.

Yes, he's in the wrong team: Pog's team. Ayuso's rise "hurts" him. Ayuso is the next best thing...I'd like to know what his contract is like, because Movistar will go all-in and try to get Juan.

We'll see. But today, my hat's off for Joao Almeida.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Respect to Joao. Chapeau for that top-5, he did more to shake the top-10 than anyone. He's brave.

Yes, he's in the wrong team: Pog's team. Ayuso's rise "hurts" him. Ayuso is the next best thing...I'd like to know what his contract is like, because Movistar will go all-in and try to get Juan.

We'll see. But today, my hat's off for Joao Almeida.

Didn't Ayuso sign a contract until 2028 or something like that?

 

[noob]

Didn't Ayuso sign a contract until 2028 or something like that?

He signed the longest contract in the whole peleton yes.

 

[noob]

I'd say Almeida will stay at the level he's at. Not because he won't improve, but because the younger kids is going to improve faster.

He has one ability the other young guys lacks and it is staying on his bike. So I'd say GT 5 - 3 is going to be his level. Lots of crashes and he ends up 3.

He could possibly win second tier races like Catalunya, Emilia etc etc. But I highly doubt GT win or monument win.

I also doubt him finishing outside top 10 GT for the foreseeable future.

And that's incredibly strong still.

Let him prove me wrong.

He's still going to be a joy to watch.

 

[Red Rick]

None of the Giro guys were as good at the Vuelta. None of them. This includes Almeida.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

None of the Giro guys were as good at the Vuelta. None of them. This includes Almeida.

Good paycheck from Remco did wonders, it seems.

 

[noob]

None of the Giro guys were as good at the Vuelta. None of them. This includes Almeida.

Same pattern last year. Latest man to double peak giro vuelta was Rogla 2019.

I'd guess the reason is a certain virus

Or it's just too hard. Rogla and Mas good at double peaking in general.

 

[Pistolas]

João reinforcing his best abilities: consistency, endurance, recovery, final mountain punch. He continues to transform his riding to the long steady mountains. Probably will get his last opportunity at a GT next Giro, unfortunately don't see UAE providing an adequate team to support him. He badly needs it because of the main flaws he shows (positioning, descending, support for the recurrent dropping and recovering). These are issues where a team support can really help, but we all see how UAE works as a collective. Not optimistic about his future.

 

[Netserk]

None of the Giro guys were as good at the Vuelta. None of them. This includes Almeida.

I think Yates would have been 3rd if he hadn't tested positive. In any case, it's notable that the Giro riders who performed at the highest level here didn't complete the Giro (López, Almeida, Yates).

 

[IndianCyclist]

I think he needs to take it slower. Do only one GT per year. Attempt 1 week/1-day races instead of 3 week ones and apply the exp of 1 week to 3 week years later. He has a serious kick that he should be looking to exploit. In GTs that is not feasible
But first he has to get out of UAE. Movistar may be a good destination considering spanish speaking riders and GT exp. And he should be able to dovetail his style of riding with Mas if required. What UAE is doing is like pushing a non swimmer into the deep ocean and being asked to swim.