Joao Almeida, Tadej Pogačar's Vuelta lead-out man, starts the race with low confidence after a disastrous year

2026 hasn't been Joao Almeida's year. But the Portuguese rider from UAE Emirates-XRG is eager to make his mark in the Vuelta a España, the race in which he finished second just last year. But on the eve of the race, he was also realistic. There are some question marks, especially for himself.

Almeida kicked off his season the same way he had ended 2025: strong and consistent. He started the year with a second-place finish in the Tour of Valencia and followed that up with a third-place finish in the Tour of the Algarve on home soil.

However, during the Tour of Catalonia—one of his final races before the Giro d'Italia—he wasn't feeling his best. Ultimately, the intended team leader for the Giro was forced to withdraw because a persistent illness and the aftereffects of a viral infection completely derailed his preparation.

Almeida returned to the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, but he was still running on half steam. Ranked 126th in the general classification, he did not start Stage 7, after which he shifted his focus to the Vuelta. That route took him through the Tour of Poland, but on the slippery asphalt in Eastern Europe, he crashed on Day 4: yet another setback.

"It's been a complicated year," he sighed at the press conference ahead of the Vuelta a España, where Almeida—sitting next to top favorite Tadej Pogačar—had to make do with just two questions in 15 minutes. “I’m coming into this feeling good, but with little self-confidence,” he admitted honestly.

"I hope to be at my best, and I'll give it my all because we have a race to win. I'm here to help Tadej win what he's still missing. If I can get a good result after that... all the better," Almeida said.

"I really enjoy the Vuelta, and I've raced it a few times already," he continued ahead of his fifth appearance. "I'm really motivated and hope it goes well, that I can enjoy it and have a great time with my teammates, who are like a second family to me."