A new threat for Vingegaard in Paris-Nice: Almeida brimming with confidence after mighty final sprint

All eyes were on Jonas Vingegaard in Paris-Nice on Wednesday, but those who had seen the Tour of the Algarve knew that a real challenger was on the horizon. In the fourth stage, on the difficult finish towards La Loge des Gardes, João Almeida showed that UAE Team Emirates - XRG does not have to only rely on Tadej Pogacar. After a tough day full of bad weather - and even a moment of neutralization - the Portuguese came out on top.

And with the weather in mind, Almeida had every reason to be proud. "I'm pleased. It was a very tough day. A lot happened," the Portuguese laughed afterward during the flash interview. "We even had snow on the route but never gave up. We deserved to win; I'm pleased with the result. I felt pretty good, but honestly, I'm not the best at cold temperatures. I suffered a lot, but I never gave up."

The weather and the route were not made for the climber. "The climb was not steep enough, so it was difficult to break up the group," he explained. "Nevertheless, Jonas Vingegaard managed to open a gap a few kilometers before the top. For a moment, it looked like the Dane from Visma | Lease a Bike would take the stage win. 'Jonas attacked at the right moment; I wasn't in the best position. But I kept giving it my all." Two years ago, Pogacar was too strong for Vingegaard on the same climb, and now it was teammate Almeida.

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"We lost as a team, but also won as a team"

Yet it is not all fun and games for UAE Team Emirates. The team time trial did not go according to plan. "Yesterday was not the best day; we had some setbacks. But yesterday was yesterday. Today was a new opportunity, and we had to take the positive aspects from yesterday. I felt very good, and I could use my energy well. We lost as a team but won as a team."

Almeida lost 42 seconds to his competitors from Visma | Lease a Bike with his eighth-place finish on Tuesday, but with his victory on Wednesday, his margin to new leader Vingegaard (who took over the lead from Matteo Jorgenson) was reduced to 37 seconds. Is the GC in the Race to the Sun still possible? "I think so, but it's not just up to me. I think my form is good. I'm ready to show who João Almeida is. Not everything works out as planned, but I will try my best."

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