Alex MacQuoid
João Almeida has once again proven his mettle in the high mountains and against the clock. The Portuguese leader of UAE Team Emirates – XRG delivered a sensational time trial on the final stage of the 2025 Tour de Suisse, overturning a deficit of over three minutes from stage 1 to seize overall victory in dramatic fashion.
The time trial, broken into competitive waves, kicked off with Harry Sweeny (EF Education-EasyPost) setting an early benchmark of 29:28, an impressive effort that held strong for much of the day. Pello Bilbao trailed by 33 seconds while young Portuguese talent Antonio Morgado slotted into third at 47 seconds back.
As the GC contenders began their runs, Sweeny’s position in the hot seat grew increasingly precarious. AJ August of INEOS Grenadiers came within 29 seconds, while Aleksandr Vlasov came closer still, missing the mark by just nine. Ben O’Connor fell 12 seconds short of Sweeny’s standard, keeping the Australian hopeful for an upset.
But the tide turned with Felix Gall. The Austrian demolished the course with a blistering 27:58, knocking Sweeny out of contention and raising the bar significantly. Oscar Onley impressed with a determined ride, 47 seconds slower than Gall, edging closer to a potential podium finish.
Yet all eyes were on João Almeida. With a steely focus and trademark composure, he produced a masterclass performance—clocking in at 27:33. Not only did he claim the stage win, but he also erased Kevin Vauquelin’s lead in the general classification, sealing the overall Tour de Suisse triumph.
Almeida’s victory not only underscores his climbing and time-trialling prowess but also reasserts his place among the elite GC contenders heading into the summer’s major stage races. A comeback like this cements his reputation: Almeida isn’t just a contender—he’s a champion capable of redefining a race in its final breath.