Both riders will have a secondary lineup supporting their GC ambitions. Positioning will be key with an experienced lineup there, so as to avoid losing time against a rival who is on paper stronger, however he admits that sometimes it is his choice to not be near the front of the peloton. “Sometimes I give up a good position to save my legs. The front isn’t always the best place.”
“It was expected that he (Jonas Vingegaard, ed.) would be there. I’ll have a very strong opponent, but that ends up motivating me. Nobody is unbeatable and the Giro is a more open race.”
Almeida is currently training in the Algarve, preparing a season where he’s got strong performances to back up. Last year he won the Itzulia Basque Country, Tour de Romandie and Tour de Suisse; besides finishing second in Valencia, Algarve and also the Vuelta a España. It would’ve been hard to imagine a better season.
“Without a doubt, it was my best season ever, with victories of great value. We are here for another year and we will try to surpass the previous season. The only thing that could have gone better was the crash in the Tour,” he adds however. “It was an unlucky moment, but it’s part of cycling.”
He will have to miss out on the Tour de France however, where Isaac del Toro will instead take on his role as the last man in front of Pogacar in the mountains. “I’ve already done two consecutive years. The Tour is the Tour, but it’s also good to change the calendar. I don’t even know if there was a reaction. I believe he was slightly sad, but I don’t think I’m fundamental to him winning a Tour.”