After stage win number 7, should UAE now go all-in on Almeida? Contador says it’s a "complicated situation"
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleThe problems at UAE Team Emirates-XRG came to a head last week when it was announced that Juan Ayuso would be leaving the team. Since then, tensions at the Vuelta a España have calmed somewhat, but Alberto Contador knows better than anyone what it’s like to race for a team in turmoil. The Spanish legend sees UAE as being stuck between two paths.
ADVERTISEMENT
In the stage to La Farrapona, Marc Soler took the win, but that result actually put UAE in a tough spot. The team was also trying to distance Jonas Vingegaard. “I think everyone is happy with the stage win because it’s such a complicated situation,” Contador told COPE. “UAE was riding on the front and, in doing so, nearly jeopardized Marc’s victory.”
However, the former Vuelta winner is not saying that was the wrong call. “It’s normal that the team is focused on the overall win, even if that meant Almeida stayed put,” he said. Contador also pointed out that race leader Vingegaard doesn’t seem to be at his sharpest. “We thought Vingegaard would destroy his rivals, but Almeida has come out of it looking alive and strong.”
With three big mountain stages and a time trial still to come, Contador believes Vingegaard is under real pressure. “He’s clearly still very strong, but it’ll all depend on how the race unfolds. Almeida mentioned he was hoping Vingegaard would start to feel the fatigue from the Tour, and it’s starting to look like he doesn’t have the same freshness. A 48-second lead isn’t a position Vingegaard is comfortable in. Still, he rarely cracks, and for me, he’s still the favorite.”
Continue reading below the photo!
Contador on the Ayuso situation: "He has to find his place"
With a hard-working Juan Ayuso, Almeida has gained a valuable helper. The Spaniard is set to leave UAE at the end of the year. “That was the best solution for both sides. It’s a relationship where we already saw friction two years ago, and that’s never a good thing. There’s a lot of talent on this team, and that’s one of the reasons they’ve already won seven stages with four different riders. But you have to know how to manage that.”
Contador expects plenty of teams will be interested in signing Ayuso, but he believes Ayuso needs to find a team where he can be the true leader. “He has to find his place. If he has big ambitions but stays on the same team as the best rider in the world, that becomes an impossible situation. I think Ayuso is a leader, but he has to find the place where he can develop to his full potential.”
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
IDL-productions
Celia Gery won the European cyclocross championship while awaiting surgery: 'It'll be a new beginning'
Dutch team coach De Knegt annoyed by European Cyclocross Championships dispute: "A bit of a let down"
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Latest Cycling News
🎥 Lucinda Brand pulls out of the Niel cyclocross race in tears after just a few minutes
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
Britain's Cameron Mason takes his first top-level cyclocross win after rain causes havoc in Niel
Mads Pedersen weighs in on Lucinda Brand and Marie Schreiber's European Cyclocross Championship clash
Sven Nys gave an update on Lucina Brand's injury: 'Difficult if you can't generate power'
Popular Cycling News
Cycling transfers 2026/2027 | Cycling transfer market still in full swing in November
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
Fears of serious injury to Alvarado, bronze medalist, after the European Cyclocross Championships
Picnic PostNL's WorldTour uncertainty has five rival teams, and Tom Pidcock, watching the UCI closely
Schreiber slams disrespectful European cyclocross championship judges: 'They didn’t even let me finish speaking'
Latest Comments
- If he finished ninth at the Tour, why didn’t he get a stage win too? I’m still trying to understand how the overall standings work.julien11-11-2026
- No ‘cross at all this winter? That’s a shame, but with his road season starting in February, I can see why he’d want a proper break. Does stepping away mean he’s done with cyclocross for good?gearguru3311-11-2026
- I like the honesty of that training post. Even the best riders feel the difference after a few weeks off, and he’s got plenty of time to build back up.samanthak11-11-2026
- Three sets of tyres in two days at the Nürburgring! The man clearly doesn’t do anything by halves. Bet a winter without cyclocross will feel strange, though.bikebuffj11-11-2026
- Fifth in the world rankings after that autumn run is some achievement. Pidcock was so aggressive at the Tour, too—hopefully he can turn a few of those near-misses into wins inpatriciaw11-11-2026
- Does XEFI’s investment mean the team will have more money to sign riders, or is it mainly a sponsorship and naming change? And is Roglič expected to race much next season?jeremya11-11-2026
- If the roster is nearly complete, why bring up Roglič at all? Feels like the article is turning a firm “no” into a transfer rumour.andrewf11-11-2026
- Wuling is no joke—105 km of climbing to 3,275 metres is brutal. Five minutes off Dyball’s record is still an incredible ride.velodromevirtuoso111-11-2026
- Roglič at TotalEnergies would be a fascinating move, but Heulot sounds pretty clear that it isn’t happening. His experience could be a massive boost for the younger riders, though.jennifer1911-11-2026
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026