Almeida Chases Historic Vuelta Podium as UAE Team Erupts

João Almeida is suddenly 38 seconds from the race lead, Juan Ayuso has taken a prestigious summit stage, and the UAE Team Emirates camp finds itself under an uncomfortable spotlight. For foreigners settled in Portugal—and for those scouting the country’s unrivalled cycling roads—this year’s Vuelta a España is delivering more than just postcard views of the Pyrenees. It is serving up a potential first Portuguese podium in half a century, a headline-grabbing team split, and nightly television drama that begins conveniently after work on both sides of the Atlantic.

A Portuguese hope inches closer to history

If Almeida can hold his current third overall through Madrid, he will become the first Portuguese rider since Joaquim Agostinho’s landmark 2nd place in 1974 to finish on the final rostrum. The 27-year-old from Azeitão has been Portugal’s most consistent Grand Tour contender in recent years, yet illness derailed his 2024 season and left questions about his ceiling. By clinging to the lead group throughout the opening week and conceding minimal time when the always-volatile Pyrenean weather closed in, he has repositioned himself as the country’s best shot at Grand Tour glory since Agostinho. Expat spectators should recognise that, in Portugal, a rider in the camisola vermelha (leader’s red jersey) is as culturally resonant as the captain’s armband on the national football team; Almeida’s presence on the virtual podium is already dominating café chatter from the Algarve to the Minho.

Stage 7 fireworks: Ayuso triumphs, tensions simmer

The fuse was lit on the road to Cerler-Huesca La Magia, where Ayuso attacked with 11 km left, rode clear through a corridor of damp fog, and raised both arms in solitude. While Spaniards celebrated a home win, microphones quickly pivoted to Almeida, who crossed the line moments later, visibly frustrated by the lack of team-mates around him in the steepest sector. In cycling, such remarks often fade by the hotel buffet, but this time they helped expose a deeper fracture. Ayuso, who had just secured what he called “my most emotional victory,” would soon accuse team bosses of operating a “dictatorship,” and within 48 hours an extraordinary press note confirmed the early termination of his contract—three seasons ahead of schedule.

Leadership reshuffle after Stage 10

Tuesday’s Stage 10 from the wildlife park Sendaviva to the high-altitude finish at Larra Belagua restored the reigning Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard to the overall lead. Meanwhile Australian climber Jay Vine carved out his second win of the race, further complicating UAE’s tactical puzzle. The classification now reads: Vingegaard first, Norwegian Torstein Træen second at 26 seconds, Almeida third at 38 seconds. Those gaps can evaporate in a single mistimed corner, yet they also confirm that Almeida, not Ayuso, is the team’s sole realistic GC asset for the next fortnight. For Portugal-based fans who like an early dinner, the mountain top finishes this week are predicted around 17:30–18:00 local time, making them prime living-room viewing.

Inside the UAE Team split: what went wrong?

Team CEO Mauro Gianetti insists Ayuso’s exit came down to “different visions of sporting development,” a polite euphemism for an increasingly public tug-of-war over leadership hierarchy. Sports director Joxean Matxin Fernández added that Ayuso had informed staff he was “empty” before Stage 9 and thus excused from late-race duties. Ayuso counters that he was being punished for voicing dissent in what he brands an authoritarian environment. Almeida, caught in the middle, attempted to cool the rhetoric on Tuesday, calling his own critical comments “heat-of-the-moment” frustration and wishing Ayuso “all the best.” For neutral observers—and especially for expats familiar with the rotating cast of football dramas in Portugal—the episode underlines how even the most global of teams can fracture along linguistic, national, and generational lines.

What it means for Portuguese cycling fans

Foreigners who have relocated to Portugal often marvel at how quickly conversations pivot from surf conditions to cycling tactics once a Grand Tour hits Iberian soil. A Portuguese podium would turbo-charge government plans to expand the country’s cycling infrastructure, from the Ecovia do Litoral in the Algarve to the Douro’s wine-country bike lanes. Brands already report spikes in high-end road-bike sales each time Almeida climbs the overall table. Expect café terraces to spill over on decisive stages, with animated debates over whether Almeida can match Agostinho’s legacy or even—whisper it—climb a rung higher.

How to follow the next mountain showdown

Wednesday’s 157.4 km loop around Bilbao carries seven categorized climbs, perfect terrain for ambush tactics. Coverage starts at 13:00 on Eurosport (Portuguese commentary available) and streams on GCN+, with highlights later on RTP2. Those living in Portugal’s central time zone can catch the decisive final hour on a café screen while enjoying a bica. The forecast calls for intermittent Atlantic showers, so expect slippery descents and maybe another leaderboard shuffle by the time the peloton rolls back into the Basque capital.

For now, the arithmetic is simple: 38 seconds separate Portugal’s top rider from a line of history, and every kilometre of this Vuelta feels like it could be the one that decides whether those numbers shrink, stretch—or become immortal.