João Almeida is ready to take on Jonas Vingegaard at the 2026 Giro d’Italia, convinced that he now has the maturity and ability to win a Grand Tour.
The 27-year-old Portuguese rider was named as UAE Team Emirates’ leader for the Corsa Rosa, with Tadej Pogacar and Isaac del Toro focusing on the Tour de France. Adam Yates and Jay Vine will also be part of the UAE Giro squad but Almeida will challenge Vingegaard after finishing second to the Dane at the 2025 Vuelta a Espana.
Almeida’s results back-up his belief of his constant improvement. In 2025 he won the Tour de Suisse, the Tour de Romandie and Itzulia Basque Country, before finishing second in the Vuelta a España.
Almeida raced as an under 23 rider in Italy and targeted the Giro early in his career. He was fourth in 2020 and wore the maglia rosa for two weeks before Tao Geoghegan Hart emerged strongest in the final mountain stages. He was also third in 2023 as Primož Roglič and Geraint Thomas battled for victory.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…