'Tired' Almeida continues great season with second GC win, Martinez not disappointed after 'great time trial'

After a week in Switzerland, Almeida's only disappointment was not winning a stage. The Portuguese rider finished in the top three in each of the last three stages, but with the overall victory secured, Almeida can put those podium places into perspective. "I gave everything in the time trial. Remco was clearly the fastest today and is the deserved winner. So everyone is happy," Almeida said with a smile after the race in an interview with Cycling Pro Net.

Almeida started the final time trial in third place in the GC, three seconds behind Martinez. It was expected that Almeida wouldn't have much trouble making up this gap, and that's precisely how it turned out. The stage racer was half a minute faster than the French climber, and the number two in the GC, Lorenzo Fortunato, lost more than a minute.

Despite the large differences, Almeida was still feeling a little nervous beforehand. "I was a little nervous, as always, before a time trial. On the other hand, I felt good, and on the course, I also noticed that I had the legs to win the GC."

For the 26-year-old rider, it was already his second overall victory in the WorldTour this season. "The season is far from over, but it's going very well. I've been second many times, but that's part of cycling. As long as everyone stays safe and healthy."

"I'm going to enjoy some time off now, and I'll share my plans for the summer soon," Almeida continued. "I'll be back in action with the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de France." So far this season, Almeida has not raced with his teammate Tadej Pogacar. That will change with the Tour de France, where Pogacar will be the undisputed leader. Almeida is not dreading taking a step back in the hierarchy. "No, I'm actually looking forward to it. It's a pleasure to train and race with Tadej."

Although Almeida prevailed in the tour of Romandie, Martinez made it difficult for the Portuguese, especially in Saturday's queen stage. "He surprised me a little," said Almeida. "He's doing very well. On the other hand, I haven't been feeling my best all week, and I'm a little tired. I'm ready for a few weeks of rest and relaxation. However, I never gave up, and I can be satisfied. But congratulations to Lenny, too; he did a great job."

It is no surprise that Almeida is struggling with fatigue. The Portuguese rider had a challenging program this spring, participating in five stage races. In February, Almeida started with second place in the Tour of Valencia and the Algarve. A month later, he missed the podium in Paris-Nice but still finished sixth. April was then a top month for Almeida, with overall victories in the Tour of the Basque Country and the Tour de Romandie.

Martinez was unable to defend his small three-second lead. Nevertheless, the pocket climber was far from dissatisfied when talking to Cyclism'Actu after the race. "I set a great time," said Martinez about his time, which was good enough for thirteenth place in the stage. Ultimately, that was enough to secure second place in the GC.

This meant he achieved his goal. "I was aiming for a podium place, although I would still have considered a top-five finish a great week." Martinez was also pleasantly surprised by his performance. "I knew it would be difficult today on a course that isn't super tough. But I'm not disappointed when I see I'm thirty seconds behind Almeida."

That 30-second gap gives Martinez no reason to be disappointed. "I couldn't have gone any faster. If the gap had been five seconds, I might have been disappointed. But now... Almeida was stronger, so there's no problem. It was an excellent week; I couldn't have hoped for more. It's my first podium in a WorldTour stage race, with a stage win and even a second place the day before, which is very good," said Martinez.

The transition to Bahrain Victorious seems to have gone smoothly. Martinez also impressed in the races in Romandy. He won a stage in Paris-Nice and finished fifth in the Tour of Catalonia and fourth in the Flèche Wallonne. "I'm starting to find my place at Bahrain Victorious, and I have a great team around me," Martinez said, praising his employer. "We're starting to work well together. They are getting better at positioning me, and they adapt well to me, and I want to thank them for that."

Like Almeida, Martinez's bike will be put away for a well-deserved break. "My program? From now on, it's three days off the bike, a vacation in Andorra, and then back to Teide (altitude training, ed.), then the Dauphiné, and then the Tour de France."