João Almeida remains confident he can win the 2025 Vuelta a España, and he's not the only one who believes so. The Portuguese revealed he received encouraging messages from his teammate Tadej Pogačar during the race.

"We spoke a few times and the day before the Angliru stage he wrote to me saying that I could win there," said Almeida, who indeed managed to beat overall leader Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) on the legendary Spanish climb.

Currently second in the standings, 48 seconds behind Vingegaard, Almeida is preparing to face the third and decisive week of the Vuelta: "I'm tired like everyone else, but very motivated. We've had two good weeks, and now the final stage awaits us."

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider has a clear idea of his strategy: "I'll attack when I have the legs, that's the truth. Wednesday's time trial will be important, but every day is really tough. Saturday's Bola del Mundo and Wednesday's Alto de el Morredero will be the most challenging stages in the finale; there's a big difference to be made there. We'll take it day by day."

On the 27.2km time trial in Valladolid, Almeida didn't seem particularly worried about losing ground to Vingegaard: "Not too much. There are many factors you can't control, and everything depends on the type of time trial."

The Portuguese believes Vingegaard isn't in top form: "If he were, he would have attacked me on the Angliru. But I'm not at my best either, so we're in a similar situation. Jonas has been superior so far; he's won two Tours and many other races. I'm keeping my feet on the ground and just trying to give my best."