
João Almeida is ready to take on Jonas Vingegaard at the 2026 Giro d'Italia, convinced that he now has the maturity and ability to win a Grand Tour.
The 27-year-old Portuguese rider was named as UAE Team Emirates-XRG's leader for the Corsa Rosa, with Tadej Pogačar and Isaac del Toro focusing on the Tour de France. Adam Yates and Jay Vine will also be part of the UAE Giro squad, but Almeida will challenge Vingegaard after finishing second to the Dane at the 2025 Vuelta a España.