Struggling Almeida not able to support Pogačar on Vuelta mountain stage: 'Then the race would be over'

There is absolutely no doubt that Tadej Pogačar is the team leader for UAE Team Emirates-XRG at the 2026 Vuelta a España. After four stages, the Slovenian has already won twice and holds a massive lead in the general classification. Normally, João Almeida would be the (shadow) team leader in Spain, but after just a few stages, he’s already completely out of contention in the general classification. How did he fare in the stage around Andorra?

To say that Almeida isn’t having a great season is an understatement. While last year he won the Tour of the Basque Country, the Tour de Romandie, and the Tour de Suisse and finished second in the Vuelta, 2026 has been a complete washout. After contracting an infection, he was unable to compete in the Giro d’Italia, skipped the Tour de France as well, and his performance in the Vuelta has also been far from his usual standard.

The 28-year-old Portuguese rider had a dismal preseason, partly due to a crash in the Tour of Poland. Going into Stage 4, a grueling stage through the Pyrenees, he was still in good shape. But on the first climb of the day, he got a flat tire, after which he was never able to catch up with the leading group. It turned into a real battle from there.

In the end, Almeida crossed the finish line in 115th place, nearly 23 minutes behind his teammate Pogacar, who pulled away in the general classification with a spectacular solo breakaway. “I wasn’t feeling great, but I also had a flat tire at the worst possible moment, right before the top of the first climb,” Almeida told Eurosport. “When Decathlon CMA CGM started pulling, it was impossible to get back.”

For a moment, there were even concerns about the time limit. Due to the fast pace and Pogacar’s early attack, the gaps in the fourth stage were enormous. In the end, the organizers decided to extend the time limit slightly, allowing everyone to finish safely. “The pace was always pretty good. We even took some risks on the descents. But it was nothing out of the ordinary. I’d say it was a good day for the team.”

Almeida’s group had also played it safe by growing as large as possible: nearly a hundred riders were battling it out together in the mountains. “The gruppetto was big, indeed. I think the group kept getting bigger, and we knew roughly how much time we had left to reach the finish. We had it pretty much under control. On the other hand, the group was so big that we thought they’d never be able to take us out of the race. Then the race would be over.”