Joao Almeida, health problems: no Giro d'Italia

Less than two weeks away from the Grand Depart on Friday, May 8, the Giro d’Italia 2026 loses one of its potential protagonists for the general classification. In fact, Joao Almeida, expected to captain the UAE Emirates XRG (in the absence of Tadej Pogacar), has announced that he will not be at the start of the Corsa Rosa due to a viral syndrome that affected him at the beginning of the season.

“Unfortunately, I will not be at the start of the Giro d’Italia next month. Health problems in recent months have affected my preparation too much and have not allowed me to arrive ready in time. It’s a pity, because it’s a race that I really love,” the Portuguese rider wrote on social media, explaining the reason for his forfeit.

The 27-year-old then added that, in consultation with the team, it was decided to take a break to fully recover and reorganize the season’s goals. “We haven’t defined the next goals yet, we’ll do it calmly in the coming weeks. Now is the time to stop, recover and gradually rebuild. I will still cheer for my teammates at the Giro from home.”

Almeida boasts as his best result at the Giro a third place overall in 2023. In recent years, however, he has confirmed his value in three-week stage races, finishing fourth in the Tour de France 2024 (serving Pogačar) and second in the Vuelta 2025, behind Jonas Vingegaard.