Almeida, aye crossing the finish line of stage 17 of this tour. /
eighteenth stage
Landa’s rival in the fight for the podium does not start this Thursday, which clears the way for Alava to the podium
Joao Almeida, Mikel Landa’s great rival in the fight for the Giro podium, has been forced to abandon the test after testing positive for coronavirus. The Portuguese cyclist from the UAE Team was in fourth place overall, 1:54 behind in the pink jersey worn by Richard Carapaz and 49 seconds behind the third place on the podium currently held by Mikel Landa.
Almeida has tested positive in the two tests that have been carried out this Thursday and will not start. This is how Mauro Gianetti, manager of the UAE, explained it to VeloNews: “It’s true, he is covid.” «He did not feel very well last night and the rapid tests have determined the positive. He has mild symptoms », said Gianetti, who sees how he has to say goodbye to a cyclist who had practically assured the white jersey of the best young rider of the Giro.
Almeida, who in the last two editions of the Giro had been fourth and sixth defending the colors of the Quick Step, was a tough rival for the man from Alava, since he had in his favor the almost 20 kilometers against the clock with which the test closes on Sunday . Landa’s challenge was to secure that podium place in the two mountain stages that remain in the race. Now that it has been confirmed that Almeida will not start at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday’s stage, he will have fourth-placed Italian Vincenzo Nibali at 4:43.
