Giro d'Italia 2020 - Portugal proving to be the new Slovenia with Joao Almeida and Ruben Guerreiro

Forget Slovenia – the new cycling super-power on the block is Portugal.

Ruben Guerreiro led the way for Portugal on Sunday, picking the pocket of breakaway companion Jonathan Castroviejo on the final climb to Roccaraso to become the first Portuguese rider since Acacio Da Silva back in 1989 to win a stage on the Giro.

Joao Almeida crossed the line almost two minutes later to ensure he would keep the race's famous maglia rosa for a seventh day – a national record for Portugal.

Almeida may have faded on the final climb to concede time to some of his GC rivals, but the 22-year-old Grand Tour debutant enters the first rest day with a 30-second cushion on the Dutchman Wilco Kelderman in the battle for pink.

His tender years means Almeida also leads the white jersey youth classification; in fact, he extended his lead in that competition after his nearest rival, the Belgian Harm Vanhoucke – who had been keeping the white jersey warm for him all week – finished a few seconds back, dropping to over a minute behind the Portuguese tyro in the standings.

It doesn't stop there for the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe. By amassing points over all four categorised climbs during Sunday's 208km Stage 9, Guerreiro took over the blue jersey from Filippo Ganna – the Italian teammate of the man he despatched on the final ramp ahead of the finish.

Guerreiro's KOM points raid went a little under the radar, it has to be said. He started the day with no points to his name in the maglia azzurra standings and was eclipsed by Giovanni Visconti over the first two climbs of the day.

Entering the stage with 18 points, the veteran Visconti quickly moved ahead of Ganna in the virtual standings. But the 37-year-old faded over the last two climbs, while Guerreiro came into his own. He took 18 points on the Passo Lanciano and 8 points on the Passo San Leonardo, before adding another 18 at Bosco di Sant'Antonio.

Had the GC battle behind materialised, it could well have stayed like this – with one of the big favourites coming through to take the stage win at Roccarasa and with it, the 40 points over the line.

But Guerreiro was the only one of the break who could latch on to Castroviejo's attack with 6km remaining – and the pair rode clear in the deluge to open up an unbridgeable gap doing into the final kilometre.

If the conditions were woeful, they were also water off a Mighty Duck's back as EF Education First showcased their zany jerseys with another victory following Jonathan Caicedo's win on Mount Etna in Stage 3.

By outfoxing Castroviejo to take only the second victory of his career, Guerreiro made up for the seven occasions that he has finished runner-up – including earlier this year in Stage 7 of Tirreno-Adriatico and last year in Stage 15 of the Vuelta.

And like Caicedo's win on Etna, it was supplemented with the blue jersey.

There are echoes of the Tour in this Vuelta, what with the stand-out performances coming from youngsters and first-time performers. Where Slovenia excelled over the roads of France – with Tadej Pogacar leading home a one-two ahead of compatriot Primoz Roglic, taking the polka dot jersey as well as yellow and white – Portugal are dominating this Giro so far, leading three of the four classifications.

After completing a sixth day in pink, Almeida became the Portuguese rider who has spent the most time at the head of a Grand Tour; the previous record holder was the celebrated Portuguese rider Joaquim Agostinho, who spent five days in the Vuelta's then-yellow leader's jersey in 1976.

Over the course of a stellar career, Agostinho won four stages in the Tour and three in the Vuelta but never on the Giro; he also ended up that 1976 Vuelta in seventh place.

Can Almeida and Guerreiro fare better this time round for Portugal? That's the question. It's unlikely that Guerreiro will keep the maglia azzurra once the seriously steep stuff comes along in the final week, and while Almeida remains the favourite for white, it would be a surprise to see the 22-year-old emulate Pogacar and win the Giro at his first attempt (as the 21-year-old Slovenian did at the Tour).

Of course, it's way too early to say if Portugal will end up with as firm a grip on this Giro as Slovenia did on the Tour. One thing we do know is that there cannot be a Portuguese one-two in the overall standings come Milan, nor are we as likely to see Guerreiro go on to win as many individual stages as Pogacar.

Deceuninck Quick-Step have protected their man brilliantly, however, and Almeida has shown his all-round ability and clear potential. But with two more time trials, four more summit finishes, and two trips above 2,000 metres, Almeida will nevertheless struggle to hold his more experienced rivals at bay.

But that doesn't change the fact that Sunday's Stage 9 marked the most successful single day Portugal has ever experienced in a Grand Tour – and there's not a Slovenian, or even Rui Costa, in sight. The future is bright for Portuguese cycling.

"I'm very pleased for Ruben, he's my friend, it's wonderful he's won," Almeida said at Roccaraso. "Today, the Giro speaks Portuguese for sure."