I think Almeida already decided to leave Quickstep before the Tour's route was public.
And how could he not leave Quickstep?
A classic's team that sturbbornly made him work for an injured rider in last year's Giro gave him no safe ground to his growth as a rider and as an athlete.
Finnaly, facts and science have their place in cycling like in politics but ultimately individuals make decisions and take risks. Turning cycling into facts and sciences means to destroy it.
No problem leaving a team, Quickstep or another team. But I didn't understood his choice. Emirates ? The team of doping gurus Gianetti and Matxin. The team where Pogacar is/will be the only leader the next ten years.
if that was a conscious choice of Almeida as a first domestique, OK. But if he thinks/thought that he would be the second team leader in GT's or the first team leader in the future, well, then Almeida is extreme naive.
And concerning his level and results during the Giro. The Covid did affect his last two days. But the days before, Almeida was strong, but not strong enough versus Bardet, Carapaz, Hindley and Landa. This season, with one win in Catalonia, he proved making no progress since last season. Unless he gets a few more victories in the following months, and then finishes on the podium in the Vuelta, I don't think he will be a top rider.