The young Portuguese talent, who impressed UAE Team Emirates, after being the only one who managed to follow Tadej Pogacar, in a six-hour training session, at an average of 40 km/hr, is trying to discover his strengths, now as a cyclist in the WorldTour.
WorldTour ambitions
“I want to learn to race with great cyclists and be useful to the team. I’m not nervous about this year. I will do what the team wants”, said Morgado in an interview with the French website Cyclism’Actu.
The choice of UAE Team Emirates seemed to be the right choice, as the team’s sporting director, Joxean Matxín, has already detailed the close relationship with the 19-year-old, and his closeness to the great Portuguese star João Almeida, among other compatriots.
Portuguese will watch the start of “La Vuelta 2024 ”
Morgado, perhaps the biggest Portuguese promise on the international road cycling scene, had the intention of participating in the Vuelta a España, which will start in Portugal. However, the team must choose to fill vacancies with other cyclists on the team.
“This year, I will not be part of the La Vuelta peloton. However, I will be on the side of the road, watching the race go by. It will be a significant moment for cycling in Portugal”, shared the cyclist from Caldas da Rainha.
António Morgado does not consider himself a pure climber
“I think my strong point is downhill. And I like that a lot. As for the rest, I still don’t know exactly what type of driver I am”, admits Morgado.
“I think I’m a climber, but not a pure climber. I want to be a cyclist who can do anything. I was sick last year at the Giro NextGen and the Giro delle Valle d’Aosta, so I helped my team who needed it.”
“At the Tour de l’Avenir, I was in good shape, but it was very difficult. I didn’t make good progress as a climber last year”, concluded Morgado.
