Almeida Skips Tour de France to Target Giro-Vuelta Double as UAE Reshape Their Grand Tour Strategy
Joao Almeida has confirmed he will skip the Tour de France in 2026 to pursue a Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana double, in a strategic reshuffle that fundamentally changes UAE Team Emirates-XRG's Grand Tour plans for the season. The Portuguese rider will be the team's protected GC leader at both the Giro and the Vuelta, freeing Tadej Pogacar to focus entirely on the Tour.
"I like all the races and trying to find the good races, I found this programme I really like and I can't wait to be back at the Giro," Almeida said when announcing his decision. The 27-year-old has a deep affinity with the Corsa Rosa, having worn the maglia rosa for 15 days as a neo-professional in 2020 — a performance that announced him to the cycling world.
The move makes considerable tactical sense for UAE. With Pogacar committed to the Tour and his spring Classics campaign consuming his early-season energy, having Almeida lead a separate Giro squad allows the Emirati super-team to target two Grand Tours simultaneously without diluting resources. Almeida will have a strong supporting cast in Italy, with riders like Marc Hirschi and Brandon McNulty expected to form his mountain train.
The decision also clears the path for Isaac del Toro to ride the Tour de France as a key support rider for Pogacar, rather than splitting duties at the Giro. The young Mexican, who has already claimed three WorldTour stage-race victories in 2026 and is currently leading UAE's challenge at the Itzulia Basque Country, confirmed that the Tour is his primary Grand Tour target this year.
The 2026 Giro, which starts in Bulgaria on May 8 with a historic Grande Partenza in Nessebar, features nearly 50,000 metres of climbing, seven summit finishes and a 40km time trial — a course perfectly suited to Almeida's versatile talents. He will face stiff competition from Jonas Vingegaard, who has also confirmed the Giro as his first Grand Tour of the season, along with Giulio Pellizzari and Richard Carapaz.
Almeida's Vuelta campaign later in the season would then serve as his second shot at a Grand Tour title. The Spaniard has traditionally been a strong late-season performer and finished on the podium at the 2023 Vuelta. By skipping the Tour's July demands, he will arrive in Spain fresher than most of his rivals.
"This is about maximising what we can achieve as a team across the whole season," said UAE's sporting director Mauro Gianetti. "Joao is a Grand Tour podium rider, and giving him two clear shots at overall victories makes us stronger. He doesn't need to be in Tadej's shadow at the Tour when he can lead his own race at the Giro and the Vuelta."