Things didn’t go as planned for João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) in the 13th stage of the Vuelta a España 2023. Unfortunately for the Portuguese rider, he struggled throughout the stage, losing nearly seven minutes and undoubtedly falling out of contention for the red leader’s jersey in the competition.
“I had a bad day, in fact, I didn’t feel good the whole time,” laments UAE Team Emirates rider João Almeida in his post-stage interview. “I kept fighting, but it is what it is. Sometimes that’s how it goes in cycling. What exactly was it? I have body aches all over, like I have the flu. It’s frustrating because things were going in the right direction. Again, it is what it is.”
Almeida wasn’t the only one struggling in the queen stage, as Jumbo-Visma completely dominated. For Almeida, though, the entire stage was a struggle.
“I don’t know how I kept going; I think it’s because of the team. They guided me really well, and I didn’t want to throw it all away,” he assesses. “I kept suffering; I think it was my worst day on the bike. However, these moments make you a cyclist, so in the end, you make a difference.”
“I turned off the radio,” Almeida admits, concluding with a mention of his teammates Marc Soler and Juan Ayuso, who are now 6th and 4th on the GC. “Nothing is lost, but also nothing is won. We have to keep fighting; I’ll try to make the most of it for my teammates, do everything we can to win as a team.”