# João Almeida (cyclist)

João Pedro Gonçalves Almeida (pronounced; born 5 August 1998) is a Portuguese professional cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam UAE Team Emirates XRG.

## Career
### 2019

In August 2019, Almeida, then riding for Hagens Berman Axeon, signed a 2-year contract with World Tour team Deceuninck–Quick-Step.

### Deceuninck–Quick-Step (2020-2021)
#### 2020

After a 2nd place finish in the Giro dell'Emilia, Almeida was named in the start list for the 2020 Giro d'Italia, his first ever participation in a Grand Tour. He wore the Giro's pink leader's jersey for 15 consecutive days, from stage 4 to stage 18, the longest ever by an under-23 rider. He eventually finished 4th overall in the general classification, the highest ever placing by a Portuguese rider.

#### 2021

After a series of top-10 finishes in winter and early-spring stage races, Almeida's contract with Deceuninck–Quick-Step was set to expire by the end of the year. Despite this, Almeida was again featured in the start list for the 2021 Giro d'Italia. After supporting Remco Evenepoel in the first 2 weeks, Almeida ended up finishing in the top-10 in the last 6 stages, placing 6th overall in the general classification.
In June, Almeida became Portuguese Time Trial Champion as an Elite rider. He later participated in the UEC European Road Championships and the Olympics.
In August, Almeida signed a 5-year contract with UAE Team Emirates to begin in 2022. Shortly after, he achieved his first stage-race general classification victories, in the Tour de Pologne and Tour de Luxembourg, also winning 3 stages and both the youth rider and points classification in the latter.
In the Autumn, Almeida finished 47th in the UCI Road World Championships Elite Road Race; 2nd in Giro dell'Emilia, losing to Primož Roglič by 3 seconds; and 3rd in Milano–Torino.

### UAE Team Emirates (2022–)
#### 2022

Almeida was in 4th place in the general classification at the Giro d'Italia when he was forced to abandon the race after stage 17 due to a positive test for COVID-19.
In June, Almeida won the Portuguese National Road Race Championships, and placed 3rd in the Time Trial. In September, he placed 5th overall in the Vuelta a España.

#### 2023

Almeida placed 3rd overall in the Giro d'Italia, becoming the first Portuguese rider to reach the podium in a grand tour since Joaquim Agostinho's 3rd place finish in the 1979 Tour de France. Almeida also secured a victory in stage 16 and placed 1st in the young rider classification. For the second time, Almeida won the Portuguese National Time Trial Championships. In September, he placed 9th overall in the Vuelta a España.

#### 2024

Almeida rode in the 2024 Tour de France in service of the general classification winner Tadej Pogačar, placing 4th overall and trailing 3rd place Remco Evenepoel by just under 10 minutes. He entered the 2024 Vuelta a España as Team UAE Emirates' main GC threat but was forced to withdraw before the start of stage 9 after contracting COVID-19, his second grand tour withdrawal due to the virus.

## Major results
### 2015

    2nd Time trial, National Junior Road Championships

### 2016

    National Junior Road Championships
       1st Road race
       1st Time trial

### 2017

    3rd Time trial, National Under-23 Road Championships
    4th Overall Toscana-Terra di Ciclismo
       1st Stage 2
    4th Overall Tour of Ankara
    8th Overall Tour of Mersin
       1st Stage 3
    9th Overall Tour of Ukraine
       1st Young rider classification
       1st Stage 4

### 2018

    1st Liège–Bastogne–Liège Espoirs
    National Under-23 Road Championships
       2nd Road race
       2nd Time trial
    2nd Overall Giro Ciclistico d'Italia
       1st Young rider classification
    5th Overall Ronde de l'Isard
       1st Young rider classification
    7th Overall Tour de l'Avenir

### 2019

    National Under-23 Road Championships
       1st Road race
       1st Time trial
    4th Overall Tour of Utah
       1st Young rider classification

### 2020

    2nd Giro dell'Emilia
    3rd Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
       1st Stage 1b (TTT)
    3rd Overall Vuelta a Burgos
    4th Overall Giro d'Italia
       Held & after Stages 3–17
    7th Overall Tour de l'Ain
       1st Young rider classification
    9th Overall Volta ao Algarve

### 2021 (6 pro wins)

    1st Time trial, National Road Championships
    1st Overall Tour de Pologne
       1st Sprints classification
       1st Stages 2 & 4
    1st Overall Tour de Luxembourg
       1st Points classification
       1st Young rider classification
       1st Stage 1
    2nd Giro dell'Emilia
    3rd Overall UAE Tour
    3rd Milano–Torino
    6th Overall Giro d'Italia
    6th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    7th Overall Volta a Catalunya
       1st Young rider classification
    10th Time trial, UEC European Road Championships

### 2022 (3)

    National Road Championships
       1st Road race
       3rd Time trial
    2nd Overall Vuelta a Burgos
       1st Stage 5
    3rd Overall Volta a Catalunya
       1st Stage 4
    5th Overall Vuelta a España
    5th Overall UAE Tour
    8th Overall Paris–Nice
       1st Young rider classification
    Giro d'Italia
       Held after Stages 14–17
       Combativity award Stage 9

### 2023 (2)

    1st Time trial, National Road Championships
    2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Young rider classification
    2nd Overall Tour de Pologne
    3rd Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Young rider classification
       1st Stage 16
       Combativity award Stage 16
    3rd Overall Volta a Catalunya
    6th Overall Volta ao Algarve
    9th Overall Vuelta a España
    9th Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana

### 2024 (2)

    1st Stage 3 (TTT) Paris–Nice
    2nd Overall Tour de Suisse
       1st Stages 6 & 8 (ITT)
    4th Overall Tour de France
    9th Overall Volta a Catalunya

### 2025 (1)

    2nd Overall Volta ao Algarve
    2nd Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
    6th Overall Paris–Nice
       1st Stage 4

### General classification results timeline

Grand Tour general classification results :
| Grand Tour | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Giro d'Italia | 4 | 6 | DNF | 3 | — | — |
| Tour de France | — | — | — | — | 4 | |
| Vuelta a España | — | — | 5 | 9 | DNF | |
| Major stage race general classification results |||||||||
| Race | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Paris–Nice | — | — | 8 | — | 11 | 6 |
| Tirreno–Adriatico | — | 6 | — | 2 | — | — |
| Volta a Catalunya | NH | 7 | 3 | 3 | 9 | — |
| Tour of the Basque Country | NH | — | — | — | — | |
| Tour de Romandie | NH | — | — | — | — | |
| Critérium du Dauphiné | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tour de Suisse | NH | — | — | — | 2 | |

### Major championships results timeline

| Event | Event | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Olympic Games | Road race | NH | 13 | Not held | Not held | — |
| Olympic Games | Time trial | NH | 16 | Not held | Not held | — |
| World Championships | Road race | — | 47 | 60 | DNF | |
| World Championships | Time trial | — | — | DNS | 23 | |
| European Championships | Road race | — | 14 | — | — | |
| European Championships | Time trial | — | 10 | — | — | |
| National Championships | Road race | — | 20 | 1 | 14 | — |
| National Championships | Time trial | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | — |
Legend :
| — | Did not compete |
| DNF | Did not finish |
| DNS | Did not start |
| NH | Not Held |