Almeida searches for answers after difficult week in Catalunya

João Almeida has conceded he is not at his best after a troubled week at the 2026 Volta a Catalunya, with the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider telling reporters at the race that he requires rest and medical checks to identify the cause of his poor form.

"I didn't feel great on the bike. Things aren't going very well. I need to rest and maybe figure out what's wrong, getting back to work toward my new goals," Almeida said to Spazio Ciclismo.

The 27-year-old had already missed Paris-Nice through illness before the Catalan race. A crash on stage 6 added to his difficulties, though Almeida was keen to stress it was not the root of the problem.

"Honestly, I don't think the crash had much of an impact. I wasn't feeling great on the first day, even before the race started."

Almeida's programme is not expected to change, though the coming weeks will centre on understanding his physical condition rather than racing. The rider indicated that consultations with the UAE's medical staff are forthcoming.

"Maybe we need to do some checks, maybe some blood tests, we'll discuss them with the medical staff. We hope everything goes well."

The Giro d'Italia's Grande Partenza is scheduled for Bulgaria in early May, and Almeida is among the headline names for the race, with the Portuguese slated to be the general classification leader for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. Almeida won a stage at the 2023 Giro d'Italia atop the Monte Bondone when he outkicked Geraint Thomas, and he went on to finish 3rd in the general classification of that Giro d'Italia.

Almeida, in recent years, has spent Grand Tours working as a key domestique for Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar, but he also went on to take a 4th-placed finish in the general classification at the 2024 Tour de France.
 

After Almeida dominated the big WorldTour one-week stages in 2025, winning in nearly every one he competed in, Almeida will be aiming to get back on track in the near future.