Giro d’Italia 2023: Alberto Contador backs Joao Almeida to take fight to Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic

Updated 11/05/2023 at 17:11 GMT

Is Joao Almeida a dark horse to win the Giro d’Italia? The UAE Team Emirates star is firmly in the maglia rosa picture after the opening six stages and will be hoping to star on the first summit finish on Friday. Almeida is fourth in the general classification, behind Remco Evenepoel but ahead of Primoz Roglic and Geraint Thomas. Stage 7 features a bruising final ramp – 6.5km of over 8% gradient.

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Alberto Contador has backed Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) to push for a podium at the Giro d’Italia – but fellow Eurosport expert Jens Voigt is not so sure.

With six stages ticked off, the Portuguese is 1’00” adrift of maglia rosa incumbent Andreas Leknessund (DSM) and 32” down on pre-race favourite Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep).

Evenepoel is expected to come under pressure on Friday's Stage 7 after his double crash on Wednesday, including a run-in with a stray dog. He navigated Thursday’s run around Naples with ease but his next test will be a far trickier beast.

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With Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) behind Almeida on GC, it has raised the possibility of the UAE man taking the fight to Evenepoel on Friday’s first summit finish on the Gran Sasso d’Italia.

“For me, Almeida is one of the clear candidates to finish on the podium,” said seven-time Grand Tour champion Contador. "I would put Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel a bit ahead, because they have had a tremendous year, but, for me, Almeida is one of the clear candidates to get, at least, on the podium of this Giro d'Italia.

“He is a regular rider who goes from strength to strength, and we are talking about very long climbs. He is perhaps the rider who is closest to Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic.”

Almeida has narrowly missed out on the podium at the Giro on two occasions – finishing fourth in 2020 and sixth in 2021 – before he failed to finish last year. He has kept under the radar as the likes of Evenepoel, Roglic and Thomas have all suffered issues.

“Almeida has been solid without being spectacular but that is what you want at this stage in the race, we are very early days,” said 12-time Giro stage winner Robbie McEwen. “Tomorrow is the first big test. Although it’s 40km uphill to the finish, the part that really counts for the contenders is the last 6.5km. That is proper climbing and they go above 2000m altitude where it will start really burning. This is where the GC contenders will really start to make their mark.

“Almeida will just stay at a steady state and ride himself in and out of the picture.”

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Leknessund will wear the pink jersey for the third day, when his run at the top is expected to come to an end as the GC favourites make their move on the bruising finale.

“Andreas Leknessund will fight like a lion but he won’t hang on to pink,” continued McEwen. “That final part of the climb, that last 6.5 km is over 8% gradient, attitude 2100m at the top so I don’t think he will hang on to it. Some contenders are going to really test Evenepoel to see if he is hurt or not but it’s a dangerous game though, because if he’s not, he can take even more time.”

However, Voigt is unsure Almeida has the required punch to hurt Evenepoel.

“He has a good team around him and UAE Emirates know how to win races,” began Voigt. “He is another very good rider and his advantage is he never gives up. He might be slightly dropped but never gives and comes back one more time.

“Yet he does not have that aggressive punch on a climb. He is missing the thought of going for it and getting a gap. The sprint or punch and change of rhythm on a climb, he needs to work on that a little bit.”

Coverage of Stage 7 begins on Eurosport 1, eurosport.co.uk and discovery+ at 10:00 BST on Friday.

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Stream the 2023 Giro d'Italia live and on-demand on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk

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