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João Almeida - Bota Lume

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Is it cause the Vuelta clashes with the Volta?
Nope he doesn't want to do it because he thinks it might be too early for him to do two GT as he wants to have a long career. I understand it as he wants to take good care of his body and not get injured or wreck it too early, which seems very wise and mature. But I am not sure UAE agrees with that if he's doing a double already next year :/

(As weird as it sounds he has declared he's not interested in that Portugal race either right now.)
 
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Nope he doesn't want to do it because he thinks it might be too early for him to do two GT as he wants to have a long career. I understand it as he wants to take good care of his body and not get injured or wreck it too early, which seems very wise and mature. But I am not sure UAE agrees with that if he's doing a double already next year :/
I honestly don't really know how hard Giro/Vuelta really is these days.

Nibali was doing Giro/Tour at 23, but it's also an individual thing how well you recover and how easy it is to get into form.
 
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It's been allover Almeida fans on Facebook these last days. But what's the source? Considered he himself has said he doesn't want to do both as he wants a longer career.

I hope it's not true about vuelta since he doesn't want to do it.
It seems that it was joao who said that. I'm very surprised, matxin said a month ago that 2 grand tours in one year to almeida and pogacar was too much because of their age.
 
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This is the article I read last time, but Google won't let me translate the whole article so it's a lot of cut and paste. There's a lot of quotes upthread last week or so, so page 37 in this thread :) And in this post below.

Here's the quotes and the link.

You should be able to read here without paywall:


Some highlights translated:

Before the 2021 Giro, you said that “what was planned was to go in search of the best GC." Then, on the road, things didn't happen that way. Did you feel betrayed by the team?

Betrayed I wouldn't say. We went with two leaders [the other was Remco Evenepoel], although at the beginning it was that spiel of saying “Remco will just see how he feels, to evolve, etc.”. But the truth is that we went with two leaders as equals and the road would put everything in its place. I had a bad day on that rainy stage where I didn't manage to eat well. I lost some time, but, being the Giro, it wouldn't be a big problem, especially as I was in my best form ever and we were still at the start of the race.

But if the team had stayed with you on that bad day, could you not have wasted so much time?

I think that day there wasn't much to do. We could have just save small seconds. It wouldn't make much difference to have teammates and it wouldn't change much. But then I had to wait for Remco in the next stages.

So the problem wasn't so much the bad day, but the option to work in the following days?

I would say yes. Having to wait for him on the mountain stages cost me some time in the fight for the podium. If I didn't have to wait for him in the those stages and had only thought about myself, I would probably have ended up on the podium. But then, with Remco as leader, I had to wait for him. It was a tactical decision and I am a good teammate. It is what it is. This is a team and we fought with what we had, even because at the time we thought Remco could held up for three weeks, the way he had it. But it's just like that. Cycling is team sports and I am a good colleague and I put myself at the service of the team's objective.

But do you see today that it was a mistake?

If we knew what we know today, maybe we would have changed something—but that's how you learn, from mistakes. When Remco didn't make it, I went back to the plan and the goal was to win a stage, which unfortunately I couldn't. But I got a good place in the overall [sixth] and I was able to see that, in fact, I am a three-week cyclist.

And were you expecting more in Lombardia?

I was, yes. Also taking into account my previous results. But from my feelings that day, right from the start, I just tried to give my best to help my colleagues.

Why did you choose Emirates?

I had proposals from all the teams. Contrary to what they say, I didn't choose it because of the monetary issue, because there were teams, more than one, giving me a lot more than Emirates gave me. But I really liked the plan they offered me to be a leader and with future development. I like the way they think and how they look at cycling. And there I'll be fine, feel good and with nice people. It will be a good climate and good development.

And how will it be to race with Pogacar?

I would love to race with Tadej in the same race and even work for him. It would be an honour. And in the future, I want to race with him.

If Deceuninck had matched Emirates' proposal, would it have stayed with the team?

I don't know, I would have to think. If they had equaled, maybe I would have stayed. But there was still Remco… But it is what it is and I think I made the best choice. I am very happy.

If you were the sporting director of Emirates, what would your plan be for 2022? Giro and Worlds? Giro and Vuelta? Tour?

Personally, I want to do Giro 2022 and then we'll see.

And would Giro plus Vuelta be a good plan?

I don't know if I'll do the Vuelta, because I'm still young and if I can avoid doing two GTs for the overall, I think it should be avoided — because I want to have a long career and, as the saying goes, I don't want to burn all my matches right now. I want to think long term and so does the team. That's why they gave me a five-year contract.
 
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Do you mean Almeida himself said he wants to do a double now, and changed his mind?

I don't have the article here with me, but as far as I remember he said this to a Portuguese newspaper, following up from the team gathering in Dubai - so presumably some kind of UAE strategy for 2022 was discussed. He said that he would be doing the Giro, with leadership duties, and that he would be doing the Vuelta with Pogacar. He also said that he would do less races in 2021, so he would have more time for recovery and preparation, and I think that his first race with team UAE would be the UAE Tour.
 
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I don't have the article here with me, but as far as I remember he said this to a Portuguese newspaper, following up from the team gathering in Dubai - so presumably some kind of UAE strategy for 2022 was discussed. He said that he would be doing the Giro, with leadership duties, and that he would be doing the Vuelta with Pogacar. He also said that he would do less races in 2021, so he would have more time for recovery and preparation, and I think that his first race with team UAE would be the UAE Tour.
Thanks. That's so weird. I wonder why they changed their minds so fast :/
 
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Maybe a Portuguese could tell me what he is saying for an hour at a public event in a shopping arena in his home town. @Froome is mentioned in the video, that I hear lol.

I enjoy it no matter what because I do like listening to his light disappearing voice. Portuguese and Spanish language are somehow soothing to my ears and I should maybe try listening to Valverde for an hour as well as he also has a soft voice.

I also enjoy him looking the same way as the first time I saw him 2020 giro; bit cool, almost nonchalant arrogant, even. He shrugs his shoulder in that seemingly nonchalant way he always doesbut he has so little animation and sits almost completely still. Apart from the fact that his hands are not still for a second. Lots of stimming going on lol. In the end he's not still at all lol.

Now I heard the name Roglič as well. And Stelvio. Also they seem to talk a bit about (his dad?) Dario.

He has a thing going on that's similar to Pog where I can't tell if they're arrogant, awkward or both. There's just so much mixed messages. Probably more clear if I knew what he was saying :tearsofjoy: I find it weird that I don't find him sympathetic when just listening and watching as usually he's quite open in interviews. I would be ridiculously nervous and awkward on that stage :tearsofjoy:
 
For Almeida Giro-Vuelta double would likely come down to plan A being freedom on Giro and support on Vuelta. This is not all that bad. Especially if Almeida would win Giro. But somehow i feel that this is as good as it gets. Especially if for example Pogačar would not win TDF 2022. I just don't see on how UAE would give both cyclist such freedom after that. There is i guess some potential for inner team tensions to emerge. It will be interesting to observe if UAE will turn out to be more alike Movistar, JV or Ineos in the future.

Managing talent.
 
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Maybe a Portuguese could tell me what he is saying for an hour at a public event in a shopping arena in his home town. @Froome is mentioned in the video, that I hear lol.

I enjoy it no matter what because I do like listening to his light disappearing voice. Portuguese and Spanish language are somehow soothing to my ears and I should maybe try listening to Valverde for an hour as well as he also has a soft voice.

I also enjoy him looking the same way as the first time I saw him 2020 giro; bit cool, almost nonchalant arrogant, even. He shrugs his shoulder in that seemingly nonchalant way he always doesbut he has so little animation and sits almost completely still. Apart from the fact that his hands are not still for a second. Lots of stimming going on lol. In the end he's not still at all lol.

Now I heard the name Roglič as well. And Stelvio. Also they seem to talk a bit about (his dad?) Dario.

He has a thing going on that's similar to Pog where I can't tell if they're arrogant, awkward or both. There's just so much mixed messages. Probably more clear if I knew what he was saying :tearsofjoy: I find it weird that I don't find him sympathetic when just listening and watching as usually he's quite open in interviews. I would be ridiculously nervous and awkward on that stage :tearsofjoy:
I'm gonna listen the interview and later try to say here the most important things that he said.
Other curiosity, he said in a interview some days ago that his minimum heart beat is 39.
 
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That day with Almeida comforting Masnada... that was the day I switched from being irritated by Almeida to rooting for him. Before that I had only seen a guy too cool for my liking that looked ridiculously good in pink (seriously not everyone looks good in that ultra pink pink color!Bernal for example looked really out of place imo)

But here was emotion and also on twitter between the two afterwards. Touching.

(I hope Masnada will get his own chances at the giro 2022. He could top 10)
 
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Masnada: «Differences between Almeida and Evenepoel? Meanwhile, the similarities: they have an incredible talent and are so young that they still have to learn to race as captains. Almeida is quiet, almost peaceful. He conveys serenity in the race. Evenepoel has a devastating force in every sense: nervous, instinctive, sometimes you can't make him think. Stubborn, he emanates competitive malice and when you run for him you feel even more motivated and concentrated because he transmits professionalism and motivates you with his own determination ».
This quote about Almeida by Masnada has to be shared here as well <3
 

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