When we asked João Almeida, one of UAE Team Emirates' big signings, about his cycling roots, about the area where he was born, he doesn't hesitate to explain that "my passion for cycling comes from within. It's a beautiful and ideal place to grow up cycling, the weather is good and you can ride in shorts almost all year round, if it doesn't rain of course".
And that's because she is from Caldas da Rainha, near the ocean, between Lisbon and Porto, a very cycling area that even has a cycling museum.
With no family background in the peloton, nor in driving a car, he has grown up like many of the Portuguese cyclists who are beginning to stand out: "My reference is that of almost everyone of my generation in Portugal, Rui Costa, who today I have as a teammate. He has achieved so many things that he is admirable. I'm happy to look at the calendar and see that I have several races with him this year. I've also kept an eye on others, like Nelson Oliveira or Sérgio Paulinho, riders who have alternated great jobs for their leaders with important victories."
A good moment for Portuguese cycling
In the toughest year of the pandemic, with the Giro taking place in October, João Almeida made the big headlines by carrying the maglia rosa for more than half the race. He was joined by Ruben Guerreiro, king of the mountains and winner of a stage in the Giro. It was a great moment for Portugal and its cycling, which is gaining more and more importance.
Cycling is growing in Portugal," he says, "it's a fact. We agree that soccer is still number one, but new talents are emerging in cycling that are helping the sport grow in the right direction."
He ended up in cycling after other sports: "I grew up practicing several sports, from a very young age, but in a serious way, 100% concentrated, I have only dedicated myself to cycling".
"I've always been very competitive," he admits, "and I enjoy testing myself against others. From the beginning I saw myself there, with the best, achieving the goals and I didn't hesitate to keep working and improving. I've never stopped working hard."
A convinced cyclist
João Almeida continues and makes it clear that his choice to become a cyclist "was not something that happened one day in particular, it was, I think, a natural progression. When I came to Italy, to Unieuro Trevigiani, I took my first steps in international cycling and that's when I started to ask myself what I wanted to do with my life, if I wanted to dedicate myself to cycling. The answer was yes, so much so that I had the chance to go to Axel Merckx's team, which was a good move, because I learned many other things beyond cycling".
For him, "all victories are important, they are all worthwhile. I can't keep just one, in any case I can say that my next victory will be the most important. I hope I'm not wrong and it will be soon.
First days at UAE Team Emirates
About his new team he says: "I love it here, I feel at home. It's a big change, but the adaptation is going well. I don't feel under pressure, I have margin and the team is with me. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to waste a second in improving, but we have to do it with confidence and move in the right direction. I can't wait to put on a bib and start racing.
"My big goal is the Giro, a race where I have good memories and where I hope to achieve something important. We'll give it everything, without fear of failure, moreover.Tadej is very cool to ride with, we've already done some training together and he knows how to create a very good atmosphere with his relaxed character. He is the number one in the world and racing with him is a great honor," he says.
In his contact with Gobik He declares himself admired: "I was impressed by the quality of the clothing. I have trained at altitude in all kinds of conditions and the clothes were always perfect. They are always creating and innovating, it's a very cool brand."
And outside cycling, what attracts João Almeida?
"I like to relax and disconnect a bit from cycling. I like to meet friends, be with my family, in short, clear my head and recharge my batteries," concludes this smiling Portuguese rider who, when he puts on a bib, is one of those spectacles that this new cycling has given us.
