Giro d’Italia 2023: Alberto Contador backs Joao Almeida to take fight to Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic

Alberto Contador has backed Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) to push for a podium at the Giro d’Italia – but fellow Eurosport expert Jens Voigt is not so sure. With six stages ticked off, the Portuguese is 1’00” adrift of maglia rosa incumbent Andreas Leknessund (DSM) and 32” down on pre-race favourite Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep). Ad Evenepoel is expected to come under pressure on Friday's Stage 7 after his double crash on Wednesday, including a run-in with a stray dog.

He navigated Thursday’s run around Naples with ease but his next test will be a far trickier beast. Giro d'ItaliaHow to watch Stage 7 of Giro d'Italia as Evenepoel still trails LeknessundAN HOUR AGO With Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) behind Almeida on GC, it has raised the possibility of the UAE man taking the fight to Evenepoel on Friday’s first summit finish on the Gran Sasso d’Italia. “For me, Almeida is one of the clear candidates to finish on the podium,” said seven-time Grand Tour champion Contador.

«I would put Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel a bit ahead, because they have had a tremendous year, but, for me, Almeida is one of the clear candidates to get, at least, on the podium of this Giro d'Italia. “He is a regular rider who goes from strength to strength, and we are talking about very long climbs. He is perhaps the rider who is closest to Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic.” Almeida has narrowly missed out on the podium at the Giro on two occasions – finishing fourth in 2020 and sixth in 2021 – before he failed to finish last year.