The Portugal-based pro cyclist Afonso Eulálio of the Bahrain Victorious squad is bracing for the inevitable: he will almost certainly surrender his Maglia Rosa leadership jersey on Tuesday when the 109th Giro d'Italia resumes with a 42-kilometer time trial between Viareggio and Massa. The 24-year-old from Figueira, currently 2 minutes and 24 seconds ahead of defending Vuelta a España champion and two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard, candidly rated his chances of defending the pink jersey at "two or three out of 10."
"Jonas is superbly good, one of the best riders in the world," Eulálio told reporters in Lucca during the race's second rest day. "This time trial is totally flat, maximum speed—it's the worst possible type of stage for a lightweight climber like me. It's going to be suffering."
Why This Matters
• Historic Portuguese performance: Eulálio is already the second Portuguese rider to hold the Maglia Rosa longest, behind only João Almeida (15 days in 2020).
• Tuesday's reality check: The flat time trial plays entirely to Vingegaard's strengths, likely reshuffling the general classification.
• Top-10 ambitions: Despite expecting to lose the lead, Eulálio dreams of finishing in the overall top 10 and winning a stage—a feat that would mark a dramatic turnaround from his 2025 abandonment.
• Final week ahead: Two grueling mountain weeks remain before the race concludes in Rome on May 31.
From Domestique to Contender
Eulálio's current position is as unexpected for him as it is for cycling fans in Portugal and beyond. He arrived at the Giro with modest ambitions: serve as a gregário (domestique), perhaps chase a breakaway stage win in the mountains, and—crucially—settle unfinished business after abandoning the race just two days from the finish in 2025.
"A month ago, my plan was to treat the time trial as a rest day," he admitted. "Now I have to give everything. I worked on time trialing a little, but not much, because I came here as a working man for the team. I was supposed to have my opportunities in the mountains, and now things have changed a bit."
The transformation came on stage 5, when Eulálio infiltrated the day's breakaway and finished second, gaining enough time to seize the Maglia Rosa. That result made him only the third Portuguese cyclist ever to wear the pink jersey, following Acácio da Silva (who led for two days in 1989) and João Almeida. Eulálio has now held the jersey through five stages, surpassing da Silva and trailing only Almeida's 15-day run.
Mountain Resilience Amid Doubt
On Sunday's stage 9, a brutal mountain finish atop Corno alle Scale, Vingegaard claimed his second consecutive summit victory, putting 41 seconds into Eulálio. The Portuguese rider crossed the line fifth, a result that both protected his lead and revealed the growing pressure from the race's true general classification contenders. Austrian Felix Gall of Decathlon sits third overall, 2:59 behind Eulálio.
"On the day I was in the breakaway, probably some riders were stronger than me on the climbs, but the day was so hard that in the end it worked out," Eulálio reflected. "I suffer, but I really like these days—wet, up and down. I don't have the experience of other riders to know how to pace myself, especially on easier stages."
Eulálio singled out the ascent to Blockhaus on stage 7 as his toughest challenge while wearing the Maglia Rosa, citing not just the gradient but the punishing wind. "When I put on the pink jersey, I gained strength," he said. "But I don't know what will happen when I lose it."
The Time Trial Reality
Tuesday's stage 10 is a 42-kilometer flat test—a discipline that rewards pure power and aerodynamic efficiency, attributes that favor heavier, more explosive riders like Vingegaard. Eulálio, a natural climber, knows the math is against him.
"This time trial is just zero for me. It's all about speed. It's suffering," he said bluntly. He added that while he believes he can "do good time trials in the future," Tuesday's course is fundamentally mismatched to his physiology.
Rather than set firm goals now, Eulálio is taking a pragmatic wait-and-see approach. "I'll see where I land after the time trial and then decide whether to go for stage wins or fight for a place in the top 10," he explained. "Dreaming is free—what I'd like is to finish in the top 10 and win a stage."
What This Means for Residents
For cycling enthusiasts in Portugal, Eulálio's Giro is unfolding as a rare and captivating narrative. Portuguese riders have historically struggled to compete in Grand Tours at the highest level, with João Almeida's third-place finish in the 2023 Giro representing the nation's best result in a three-week race since Joaquim Agostinho in 1979. Eulálio's performance—unexpected, gutsy, and humble—offers a fresh example of Portuguese talent punching above its weight on the world stage.
Even if he loses the Maglia Rosa on Tuesday, his five days in pink have already cemented his place in Portugal's cycling history books. The question now is whether he can hold on long enough through the mountains to deliver a top-10 finish and, perhaps, claim that elusive stage victory.
The Road Ahead
The Giro d'Italia resumes Tuesday after its second rest day, with the time trial likely to reshuffle the top of the standings. After that, the race enters its final two weeks, featuring some of the most demanding mountain stages on the calendar. Eulálio, who described himself as having improved "a lot" in recent years, expressed confidence he can survive until Rome.
"Two weeks remain—I don't know what I can do. The final week will be very difficult. We have a good team that's working very well," he concluded.
The Bahrain Victorious rider has already proven he can surprise himself. Whether he can surprise the rest of the peloton—and cycling fans across Portugal—will be determined over the next 13 stages. For now, he rests in Lucca wearing the most coveted jersey in Italian cycling, knowing it may not be his much longer, but savoring every moment of an improbable dream.
