Almeida 'not at his best' but still confident as Vingegaard duel intensifies

In an interview with Marca on Monday’s rest day, Almeida also shrugged off the idea that this Vuelta represented a now or never moment in his career.

Almeida begins the third week of the Vuelta in second place, just 48 seconds off Vingegaard’s red jersey. Vingegaard is the favourite for overall victory but he could only break even with Almeida on back-to-back summit finishes in Asturias at the end of the second week, with the Portuguese rider winning atop the Angliru on stage 13.

“It definitely gave me a lot more confidence,” Almeida said of the Angliru, where he led Vingegaard all the way up the climb before outsprinting him at the summit. “It’s a very tough climb where you need legs, and in the end, I was surprised to win because I didn’t expect it, but it gave me the confidence that I can win. Of course, you have to have legs, and hopefully we won't have any bad days.”

Vingegaard placed second overall to Almeida’s teammate Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France, and in the Slovenian’s absence, he was expected to dominate the Vuelta. It hasn’t panned out that way, even though Vingegaard has won summit finishes at Limone Piemonte and Valdezcaray. Almeida agreed that Vingegaard is not operating on the same level as he was in July.

“Yes, if he was in top form, I think he would have attacked me that day on the Angliru,” Almeida told Marca. “I’m not in my best shape of the year either, so we’re both in a bit of an equal situation. But Jonas is still a better rider than me so far. He’s won two Tours de France, many races, and he's always been ahead.”

Almeida has enjoyed a remarkable season, claiming overall victory at Itzulia Basque Country, the Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse before crashing out of the Tour de France in the opening week. The 27-year-old maintained that his Vuelta form is some way short of his condition earlier in the year.

“I’m fine, but not at my best,” said Almeida, who dismissed the idea that this Vuelta was his best chance to win a Grand Tour given that opportunities are limited on a team with riders like Pogacar and Isaac del Toro. “I think there will be many opportunities. We have to take advantage of them. I still have many years ahead of me, and I feel good.”

The stage 18 time trial in Valladolid looks set to be a pivotal battleground given Almeida and Vingegaard’s parity in the mountains, but the UAE rider confessed that specific work against the watch had not been a priority ahead of the Vuelta. “I didn’t have time to prepare properly after the Tour, but it is what it is,” he said. 

This Vuelta is playing out amid repeated demonstrations against Israel’s ongoing invasion of Gaza. A human demonstration in Bilbao led to the neutralisation of stage 11, while protestors spilling into the road contributed to crashes on stages 10 and 15.

“I understand the demonstrations. I think you have to demonstrate for what you want, but always peacefully, without causing trouble,” Almeida said. “As long as they don't do it aggressively and don’t endanger us, they can demonstrate for what they believe in. Everyone has their own rights.”