Portuguese cyclist João Almeida, who finished fourth in the last Tour de France, will lead the UAE Emirates alongside British rider Adam Yates in the Tour of Spain, which starts from Lisbon on Saturday, the team announced on Monday.
“Starting a grand tour in Portugal is a dream come true. I am very happy to start in Lisbon and travel through my homeland. [Caldas da Rainha]”The support of the Portuguese fans, my family, my friends will be a special, perhaps unique opportunity for me,” explained the Portuguese, quoted in a statement from the team he represents.
He said that after his “big step” and fourth place in the Tour, he would “take on a leadership role alongside Adam Yates.”
“Considering how well we understand each other and the whole team, I think it will be super for us,” he added.
The third-place finisher in the 2023 Tour of Italy thus returns to the Tour of Spain, having finished fourth in 2022 and ninth in 2023.
Yates, for his part, stressed the “good partnership” between the two leaders, already evident in the Tour of Switzerland, which the Briton won, hoping that the team as a whole will fight for victory with whoever is stronger.
The team, led by Joxan Matsine, also has Australian Jay Wine, Frenchman Pavel Sivakov, Spaniard Marc Soler and North American Brandon McNulty as key mountain support.
The top eight also includes Mexican Isaac del Toro and Italian Filippo Baroncini, both making their major tour debuts.
The Vuelta, the final major Tour of the year, starts from Lisbon on Saturday and will feature three stages in Portugal, ending in Madrid on September 8.