João Pedro Gonçalves Almeida (pronounced [ʒuˈɐ̃w alˈmɐjðɐ]; born 5 August 1998) is a Portuguese professional cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam UAE Team Emirates.[5]
.png) Almeida following the 2024 Tour de France | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | João Pedro Gonçalves Almeida |
| Nickname | A Pantera (The Panther) |
| Born | 5 August 1998 A dos Francos - Caldas da Rainha, Portugal |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 63 kg (139 lb) |
| Team information | |
| Current team | UAE Team Emirates |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | Climber |
| Amateur teams | |
| 2013 | Ecosprint–BTT Caldas |
| 2014 | CC José Maria Nicolau |
| 2015 | Sicasal–Liberty Seguros–Bombarralense |
| 2016 | CC Bairrada |
| Professional teams | |
| 2017 | Unieuro Trevigiani–Hemus 1896 |
| 2018–2019 | Hagens Berman Axeon[1][2] |
| 2020–2021 | Deceuninck–Quick-Step[3] |
| 2022– | UAE Team Emirates[4] |
| Major wins | |
Grand Tours
| |
Career
edit2019
editIn August 2019, Almeida, then riding for Hagens Berman Axeon, signed a 2-year contract with World Tour team Deceuninck–Quick-Step.[6]
Deceuninck–Quick-Step (2020-2021)
edit2020
editAfter a 2nd place finish in the Giro dell'Emilia, Almeida was named in the start list for the 2020 Giro d'Italia, his first ever participation in a Grand Tour.[7] He wore the Giro's pink leader's jersey for 15 consecutive days, from stage 4 to stage 18, the longest ever by an under-23 rider. He eventually finished 4th overall in the general classification, the highest ever placing by a Portuguese rider.
2021
edit
After a series of top-10 finishes in winter and early-spring stage races, Almeida's contract with Deceuninck–Quick-Step was set to expire by the end of the year.[8] Despite this, Almeida was again featured in the start list for the 2021 Giro d'Italia. After supporting Remco Evenepoel in the first 2 weeks, Almeida ended up finishing in the top-10 in the last 6 stages, placing 6th overall in the general classification.
In June, Almeida became Portuguese Time Trial Champion as an Elite rider. He later participated in the UEC European Road Championships and the Olympics.
In August, Almeida signed a 5-year contract with UAE Team Emirates to begin in 2022.[9] Shortly after, he achieved his first stage-race general classification victories, in the Tour de Pologne and Tour de Luxembourg, also winning 3 stages and both the youth rider and points classification in the latter.
In the Autumn, Almeida finished 47th in the UCI Road World Championships Elite Road Race;[10] 2nd in Giro dell'Emilia, losing to Primož Roglič by 3 seconds; and 3rd in Milano–Torino.
UAE Team Emirates (2022–)
edit2022
edit.jpg)
Almeida was in 4th place in the general classification at the Giro d'Italia when he was forced to abandon the race after stage 17 due to a positive test for COVID-19.[11]
In June, Almeida won the Portuguese National Road Race Championships, and placed 3rd in the Time Trial.[12] In September, he placed 5th overall in the Vuelta a España.
2023
editAlmeida placed 3rd overall in the Giro d'Italia, becoming the first Portuguese rider to reach the podium in a grand tour since Joaquim Agostinho's 3rd place finish in the 1979 Tour de France.[13] Almeida also secured a victory in stage 16 and placed 1st in the young rider classification. For the second time, Almeida won the Portuguese National Time Trial Championships. In September, he placed 9th overall in the Vuelta a España.
2024
editAlmeida rode in the 2024 Tour de France in service of the general classification winner Tadej Pogačar, placing 4th overall and trailing 3rd place Remco Evenepoel by just under 10 minutes.[14] He entered the 2024 Vuelta a España as Team UAE Emirates' main GC threat but was forced to withdraw before the start of stage 9 after contracting COVID-19,[15] his second grand tour withdrawal due to the virus.
Major results
edit- 2015
- 2nd Time trial, National Junior Road Championships
- 2016
- National Junior Road Championships
- 1st
Road race - 1st Time trial
- 1st
- 2017
- 3rd Time trial, National Under-23 Road Championships
- 4th Overall Toscana-Terra di Ciclismo
- 1st Stage 2
- 4th Overall Tour of Ankara
- 8th Overall Tour of Mersin
- 1st Stage 3
- 9th Overall Tour of Ukraine
- 1st
Young rider classification - 1st Stage 4
- 1st
- 2018
- 1st Liège–Bastogne–Liège Espoirs
- National Under-23 Road Championships
- 2nd Road race
- 2nd Time trial
- 2nd Overall Giro Ciclistico d'Italia
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st
- 5th Overall Ronde de l'Isard
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st
- 7th Overall Tour de l'Avenir
- 2019
- National Under-23 Road Championships
- 1st Road race
- 1st Time trial
- 1st
- 4th Overall Tour of Utah
- 1st
Young rider classification
- 1st
- 2020
- 2nd Giro dell'Emilia
- 3rd Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
- 1st Stage 1b (TTT)
- 3rd Overall Vuelta a Burgos
- 4th Overall Giro d'Italia
- Held
& after Stages 3–17
- Held
- 7th Overall Tour de l'Ain
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st
- 9th Overall Volta ao Algarve
- 2021 (6 pro wins)
- 1st Time trial, National Road Championships
- 1st
Overall Tour de Pologne
- 1st Sprints classification
- 1st Stages 2 & 4
- 1st
- 1st Overall Tour de Luxembourg
- 1st
Points classification - 1st Young rider classification
- 1st Stage 1
- 1st
- 2nd Giro dell'Emilia
- 3rd Overall UAE Tour
- 3rd Milano–Torino
- 6th Overall Giro d'Italia
- 6th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
- 7th Overall Volta a Catalunya
- 1st
Young rider classification
- 1st
- 10th Time trial, UEC European Road Championships
- 2022 (3)
- National Road Championships
- 1st Road race
- 3rd Time trial
- 1st
- 2nd Overall Vuelta a Burgos
- 1st Stage 5
- 3rd Overall Volta a Catalunya
- 1st Stage 4
- 5th Overall Vuelta a España
- 5th Overall UAE Tour
- 8th Overall Paris–Nice
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st
- Giro d'Italia
- Held after Stages 14–17
Combativity award Stage 9
- Held
- 2023 (2)
- 1st Time trial, National Road Championships
- 2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st
- 2nd Overall Tour de Pologne
- 3rd Overall Giro d'Italia
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st Stage 16
- Combativity award Stage 16
- 1st
- 3rd Overall Volta a Catalunya
- 6th Overall Volta ao Algarve
- 9th Overall Vuelta a España
- 9th Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana
- 2024 (2)
- 1st Stage 3 (TTT) Paris–Nice
- 2nd Overall Tour de Suisse
- 1st Stages 6 & 8 (ITT)
- 4th Overall Tour de France
- 9th Overall Volta a Catalunya
General classification results timeline
edit| Grand Tour general classification results | ||||||||
| Grand Tour | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia
|
4 | 6 | DNF | 3 | — | |||
 Tour de France
|
— | — | — | — | 4 | |||
 Vuelta a España
|
— | — | 5 | 9 | DNF | |||
| Major stage race general classification results | ||||||||
| Race | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |||
| Paris–Nice
|
— | — | 8 | — | 11 | |||
 Tirreno–Adriatico
|
— | 6 | — | 2 | — | |||
 Volta a Catalunya
|
NH | 7 | 3 | 3 | 9 | |||
| Tour of the Basque Country
|
— | — | — | — | ||||
| Tour de Romandie
|
— | — | — | — | ||||
 Critérium du Dauphiné
|
— | — | — | — | — | |||
| Tour de Suisse
|
NH | — | — | — | 2 | |||
Major championships results timeline
edit| Event | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Olympic Games
|
Road race | NH | 13 | Not held | — | |
| Time trial | 16 | — | ||||
 World Championships
|
Road race | — | 47 | 60 | DNF | |
| Time trial | — | — | DNS | 23 | ||
 European Championships
|
Road race | — | 14 | — | — | |
| Time trial | — | 10 | — | — | ||
 National Championships
|
Road race | — | 20 | 1 | 14 | — |
| Time trial | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
| DNS | Did not start |
| NH | Not Held |
References
edit- ^ "UCI approves Axeon Pro Continental status". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
The team has announced eight riders so far for the 2018 roster, including João Almeida from Portugal, William Barta from the US, U23 time trial world champion Mikkel Bjerg from Denmark, Cole Davis from the US, Zeke Mostov from the US, Jasper Philipsen from Belgium, Thomas Revard from the US and Maikel Zijlaard from the Netherlands.
- ^ "Almeida João". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
- ^ Ryan, Barry (31 December 2019). "2020 Team Preview: Deceuninck-QuickStep". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ "Joao Almeida signs five-year deal at UAE Team Emirates". Cyclingnews. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "João ALMEIDA". UCI. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ team, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl. "João Almeida steps up to the World Tour with Deceuninck – Quick-Step | Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team". www.quickstep-alphavinylteam.com. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ "103rd Giro d'Italia: Startlist". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ "Sam Bennett and Joao Almeida to leave Deceuninck-QuickStep after 2021 - 'I don't have as much money'". Eurosport. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ August 2021, Cyclingnews 06 (6 August 2021). "Joao Almeida signs five-year deal at UAE Team Emirates". cyclingnews.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "UCI 2021 Road World Championships Final Results / Résultat final". Retrieved 15 September 2023.
- ^ team (23 January 2023). "João Almeida: I've got unfinished business with the Giro d'Italia". www.cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ "JOÃO ALMEIDA BECOMES NEW PORTUGUESE NATIONAL CHAMPION". cycling up to date. 26 June 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
- ^ "Giro d'Italia ticker: Almeida relishes career-best third on GC, Lefevere blasts mountain TT". 28 May 2023.
- ^ "Official classifications of Tour de France 2024 - Stage 21". www.letour.fr. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
- ^ Alasdair Fotheringham (2024-08-25). "João Almeida abandons the Vuelta a España with COVID-19". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
External links
edit
- João Almeida at ProCyclingStats
