João Almeida forced to withdraw from the Tour de Pologne

The big favourite for the overall victory at the 2026 Tour de Pologne , João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), was forced to retire before the start of stage 5 due to the physical consequences he suffered in the terrible mass crash that occurred at the end of stage 4.

Between 30 and 40 riders crashed in the final, hilly, and uneven stretch between Zagan and Karpacz, on a downhill section made slippery by the rain. The accident caused the race to be suspended for approximately 40 minutes while ambulances attended to the injured cyclists.

Almeida's teammates, Benoît Cosnefroy and Juan Sebastian Molano, both involved in the crash, were also forced to retire immediately.

Almeida gritted his teeth to the finish line, despite a large graze on his upper left leg and a torn team jersey, finishing the stage 16 minutes behind winner Bart Lemmen (Visma-Lease a Bike) – who also fell in the same accident, but less seriously.

Team UAE announced on Friday via X that, despite the Portuguese having completed the stage, he will not take part in the rest of the race, the same Tour de Pologne that he had already won in 2021 and in which, in 2022, he was narrowly beaten by Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious).

Good news on the physical front: according to the team, there are no fractures and all three riders involved will return home to rest in preparation for the upcoming races.

Speaking to Polish website Naszosie.pl immediately after stage 4, Almeida commented: "Obviously I'm not feeling well, it wasn't a good day. I have pain in my knee and ankle, but I think I'll be fine. I've most likely managed to avoid any fractures, I just need a few small adjustments. It is what it is."

He then added: "The asphalt was practically like ice. It was super, super slippery, you couldn't do anything. Plus, the speed was so high, we just fell over each other, it was impossible to avoid it."

The Portuguese had said he hoped to be able to start on stage 5, but in the end this was not possible.

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