While he was still fourth in the general classification and still starting well to grab the podium, the Portuguese João Almeida had to leave Giro, after testing positive for covid-19, this Thursday morning. At the end of the day, the cyclist from A-dos Francos assumed the disappointment.
“I don’t even know how to start… Sadness filled my heart this morning. Probably because I’m still young and have not had an unfortunate accident like this, at the present time and circumstances,” he wrote in a post on social networks.
The Emirates team cyclist woke up with a sore throat and a fever and didn’t even take part in the 18th stage of the Vueltaa Italia.
“I love what I do, it’s my focus. And I love Jiro the most. It has a special meaning to me. But I understand that setbacks are part of the way and I accept it. Moving forward, I felt the need to come here to vent, not complain and to thank everyone for their tireless support, Especially at this time. I wish all the best to my teammates for the rest of the Giro. It’s time to recover and come back stronger”, concluded Joao Almeida.
Belgian Dries de Bondt (Alpecin-Fenix) won Thursday’s stageIn a sprint with Ecuadorean Richard Carapaz (INEOS), he retained the pink jersey.
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