The bicycles painted in red on the asphalt indicate, like arrows, the way to one of the most famous streets in the quiet village of A-dos-Francos, in the municipality of Caldas da Rainha. In 2020, during the 15 days in which one of the residents was leading the Giro de Itália, it was the stage for social communication pilgrimages to learn more about one of the sons of the land: João Almeida.
And it was in this narrow alley that the corridor received the A BOLA and then, inside doors, where the parents reserve a small museum for it, to talk about the new directions it embraces today when it is presented at UAE Team Emirates, for which it signed for five seasons. .
«Contrary to what they say, it was not for the money that I accepted the proposal of UAE Team Emirates. I’ve known Matxin Joxean Fernandez for a long time, basically the general manager who manages most of the team’s affairs, we’ve known each other since I was a junior. He presented me with a good proposal, with good goals and with the perspective of being a leader. I liked the conditions at the level of future goals. It’s a team I think I’ll do well. It has nice people and there are also Portuguese runners», he said.
João Almeida does not hide that the values reach the six annual digits. “It can even be two or three million euros a year, but it’s not for the money that I switch to UAE Team Emirates. I received proposals that paid me more and were quite good financially, but that wasn’t my focus»
Read the entire interview in the print edition or digital from to THE BALL.
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