Almeida targeted on climbing and race craft as he targets Giro and Vuelta
João Almeida has recognized climbing and race craft as two key pillars of his Grand Tour growth, as he units his sights on each the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España in his first season with UAE Group Emirates.
The Portuguese 23-year-old has solely been knowledgeable for 2 years however has already established himself as a three-week contender with back-to-back top-six finishes on the Giro.
After spending 15 days within the chief’s pink jersey earlier than ending fourth within the late-season 2020 version, he did the other and got here from exterior the highest 10 to put sixth final Could.
On each events, he bolstered his general outcome towards the clock however should adapt as he as soon as once more makes the Italian Grand Tour the focus of his season, with a 2022 route that options simply 26km of particular person time trialling.
“Extra time trialling could be ultimate for me, however it’s what it’s,” Almeida advised reporters from a pre-season group coaching camp in Spain.
“Ultimately, there’s quite a lot of climbing, however general within the Grand Excursions, the primary selections are made on the climbs. With the time trials, you get one or two spots distinction, so you may enhance your place, however general it’s the climbs that make the most important distinction.”
Along with his swap from QuickStep to UAE Group Emirates, Almeida says he has “principally modified the whole lot”, from his bike and gear to his coaching and vitamin plans. He’s now working with Iñigo San Millán, who additionally coaches his new teammate Tadej Pogačar and is already shaking issues up.
“The coaching plan is completely different to the one I used to be used to with my previous coach at QuickStep. The efforts I do, the kind of coaching and the method to races is completely different to what I’m used to however I’m feeling good with it, so I feel it’s a constructive factor,” Almeida stated.
He was reluctant to enter specifics, arguing that “coaching is kind of a private factor” however did point out that enhancing uphill could be the precedence.
“With a Giro like this, in fact, I’ll focus extra on climbing and never a lot on the TT.”
The opposite space the place Almeida sees room for enchancment is in his racecraft. Even when it’s not one thing that may essentially be coached, he defined that his two appearances on the Giro have taught him worthwhile classes.
“I’ve made just a few errors. Typically, I might assault for no purpose in any respect, so possibly I needs to be extra conservative typically. However different instances possibly I wanted to assault extra.
“You may by no means be too good or too clever. With the ability to learn the race higher, to know the opponents… that comes naturally, race after race with expertise. To date I’ve been doing good however there’s all the time lots to study and enhance so we’re right here for that as effectively.”
Almeida will make his debut for his new group at their ‘dwelling’ race, the UAE Tour, in February, alongside Pogačar and the cream of the group’s expertise. He’ll go on to trip Paris-Good and the Tour of Catalunya, with an altitude coaching camp to precede one other last outing forward of the beginning of the Giro in Hungary on Could 6.
After the Giro, Almeida will flip his consideration to the Vuelta a España, as he appears to trip two Grand Excursions in a single season for the primary time in his profession.
“The plan is to do the Giro and Vuelta this 12 months. After all, now we have to see how I really feel, however that’s the plan, and I feel I’ll have the ability to do it,” he stated.
Let’s see what group we take to the Vuelta. It’s fairly a good distance off however we are able to take a powerful group there.”
Almeida wasn’t certain if he’d be sharing management duties with Pogačar, regardless of the Tour de France champion indicating his intentions to move to the Vuelta after gunning for a 3rd yellow jersey. Almeida, who has signed a five-year deal at UAE, clearly sees himself as a separate chief, with a separate assist group, fairly than a luxurious domestique to the Slovenian star, however insisted he was comfortable to be sharing a jersey.
“I really feel excellent with this. Will probably be a pleasure to race with Tadej. He’s among the best cyclists ever – not simply in the mean time. With the ability to race with him, study from him, and assist him attain good outcomes and win races… it’s good to be part of and it provides me motivation for the long run.”
As for his personal ambitions, he revealed that compatriot Rui Costa, the 2013 world champion, is among the many group of riders set to encompass him on the Giro and different races the place he shoulders management obligations.
“The group reveals quite a lot of confidence in me. I’m nonetheless younger, and having a group like this give me a objective like this reveals they actually belief me,” Almeida stated.
“I’ve group round me. One is Rui Costa, who can be Portuguese. We’ve been coaching collectively and creating our relationship so we are able to have it within the races, and the identical for different riders, too. I’m nonetheless younger and might all the time study from the blokes who’re extra skilled than me.
“I’m having fun with being with the group, it’s been a very constructive change. The one factor I can promise is that I’m going to work actually arduous to be in the very best form, making all of the sacrifices and doing the whole lot I can achieve this we are able to go and attempt to attain our objectives.”
