João Almeida Secures Tour de Suisse Victory with Dominant Performance

João Almeida of UAE Team Emirates-XRG delivered a stunning performance to win the Tour de Suisse, solidifying his form ahead of the Tour de France. AlmeidaS remarkable comeback included winning the final time trial and the last mountain stage, overcoming an initial three-minute deficit against Kévin Vauquelin of Arkéa-B&B Hotels.

“There was a big plan as the first day when I lost three minutes,” Almeida stated after his victory.”The team did amazing, we did a perfect job, we fought for the win, we never gave up, we always believed. In the end we did it.”

Almeida’s Comeback Strategy

Almeida faced an early setback when he missed a significant breakaway on the first stage, allowing 22 riders, including Julian Alaphilippe of Tudor Pro Cycling and Oscar Onley of Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL, to gain considerable time. Despite this, Almeida and his team devised a strategy to claw back the deficit.

Did You Know? The Tour de Suisse is frequently enough seen as a key preparation race for the Tour de France, allowing riders to test their form and strategies before the main event.

Vauquelin seized the race lead after Saturday’s stage, holding a 33-second advantage heading into Sunday’s uphill time trial. However, Almeida delivered a blistering performance, outpacing runner-up Felix Gall of decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale by 24 seconds. Vauquelin finished fourth, 1:40 behind.

“Obviously I am bit disappointed. I had a lot of expectations coming into today, but my legs were a bit strange,” Vauquelin admitted. “I tried to give it my absolute best.But I was a bit slower than I was yesterday…less power, less watts.”

Almeida’s stage win not only secured the points jersey but also clinched the overall victory, finishing 1:07 ahead. “I think at the end of the day it is like a lesson,” Almeida reflected. “You should never give up. Sometimes things go wrong. Sometimes nothing is perfect. You just need to keep trying. We kept trying and we did it.”

Riders Gaining Momentum Before the Tour

The race provided valuable insights for several riders heading into the Tour de France. While Almeida and UAE Team Emirates-XRG are riding high, Vauquelin also departs Switzerland with confidence. Despite not holding the yellow jersey,he secured second place overall.

“I was still second in the GC. And I came here with no plan of doing anything like this,” Vauquelin said. “We weren’t going to be fighting for the GC before the start of the Tour de Suisse, but now I am second. It is a good step for my career…I have got to be happy with this.”

Oscar Onley of Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL also expressed satisfaction with his performance,building on his second-place finish in the Gree-Tour of Guangxi last year. Winning a stage and finishing on the podium marked significant achievements.

“I think it is indeed a step up compared to my results in the past and also just my own performances, I think,” Onley noted. “Taking away everyone else in the race, I stepped up physically in myself. So I am happy with it.”

Felix Gall of DECATHLON-AG2R LA MONDIALE is also optimistic, encouraged by his strong showing in his home race. His second-place finish in the time trial capped off a prosperous week, including third and fourth-place stage finishes.

“if we forget about stage one, I think that everything else was really good,” Gall commented, referring to the time lost in the breakaway.”Without a doubt I am really happy with this week.”

Almeida and Pogačar: Team Dynamics

Almeida’s victory builds on his success from the previous year, where he won two stages, including the final time trial, but finished second overall to teammate Adam Yates.This year marks his third stage race win, following victories in the Itzulia Basque Country and the Tour de Romandie.

With nine victories this year, Almeida trails only Tadej Pogačar’s 2025 tally of eleven wins. However, Almeida emphasized his role within the team, stating, “The goal there is just to help him as much as I can,” dismissing any speculation about rivalry. “To do my best pulls and hopefully destroy a bit the group so he can make the difference. I am excited for the Tour.”

Despite his capabilities, Almeida remains committed to supporting Pogačar. When asked about his own Tour ambitions,he insisted,”It doesn’t really matter. If it is indeed the time it will come. So no stress at all.”

Pro Tip: Keep an eye on these riders as the Tour de France approaches. their performances in the Tour de suisse indicate strong form and potential for success.

Tour de Suisse 2025: Key results

What are your predictions for Almeida and UAE Team Emirates in the upcoming Tour de France? How will the performances in the Tour de Suisse influence team strategies?

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