João Almeida is only 23 years old, but if there’s one thing we already know about him, it’s his running style. The resilient person doesn’t go into hard accelerations, doesn’t go into frantic changes of pace, preferring to always climb in their own way, constantly, indifferent to changes in the pedals that others make.

In this sense, João Almeida is a bit of an opposite of Miquel Landa, the Spanish cyclist who in his country led to the creation of a kind of cycling faith that attempts to summarize the virtues and faults of the Basques: Landism. O Landism he falls in love with the attacking nature of his prophet, recognizing his audacity and ability to move races, imposing those shakes that Almeida does not like; but Landism perhaps lacking the composure and efficiency that the young Portuguese already possesses.

Whether it’s because of this lack of composure, or an unfortunate attitude towards falls, mechanical issues, and all sorts of accidents that you want to avoid in cycling, Mikel Landa, a runner who polarizes opinion like few others, has only given landists last big lap podium with 3rd place at the now distant 2015 Giro. landistsavowed adherents seem to accept this cruel fate almost with pride, continuing to hope for a coveted miracle in the form of a final triumph in one of the three races of the main stage.

Before the start of the third and final week of the Giro d’Italia full of mountain stages, Landa said his Vuelta Italia “began” with stage 16, with 202 kilometers full of difficulties connecting Salo to Aprica. And Mikel made good on his promise in a tirade that came in all sizes Landism: an attack to shake up the race, almost a crash caused by his teammate Pello Bilbao, all to not buy time for Carapaz or Hindley and only get a 14 second advantage over Joao Almeida.

Agitation Landism contrasts with the unfailing serenity of the Portuguese. Almeida pulled away from his top three with more than nine kilometers to go, but at his pace kept a short distance to Landa, Carapaz and Hindley, finishing 14 seconds behind the top three in a stage won by Czech Jan Hirt, the protagonist on the run from day.

All in all, it was another day of resistance for the Portuguese from the Emirates of the UAE. Before the tirade began, Almeida said the “plan” was to “defend ourselves”. And the defense was made by keeping 3rd place, now 44 seconds Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz, the leader, who is barely 3 seconds ahead of the Australian Jai Hindley. Landa is 15 seconds behind Joao Almeida and fifth, Vincenzo Nibali, is already 3.40 minutes behind Carapaz.

With more than 150 kilometers to go, during the first climb of the day, the camera focused on João Almeida, wearing goggles over a helmet, with his bare hands on the steering wheel. The Portuguese winked his left eye, but happiness, again, was not due to his team. Almost 80 kilometers from the finish line, Almeida had to climb the mythical Mortirolo alone, which was very different from what Carapaz experienced with his Ineos or Landa in Bahrain.

Ahead, Alejandro Valverde, cycling legend at 42, was running to try and win the race and become the oldest ever to win a big lap stage. The Spaniard was unable to win the competition: the Czech Jan Hirt was 7 seconds ahead of Arensman, a 22-year-old Dutchman with a lot of promise for the future.

A little further discussed the general of the race. Since Almeida was always at the end of the group of favorites, Mikel Landa’s team, true to the spirit of their leader, began early to solidify the final climb. But the dark side Landism: Just over 10 kilometers from the finish line, Pello Bilbao, Landa’s main companion, was ahead of 4th overall. Landa had to give way, Almeida almost fell too.

A few meters later, Mikel Landa went on the attack. There, on the ramps of Santa Cristina, all the faces Landismcoexisting with a routine misfortune that seems more like an inevitable fate, with a daring attack that turns cycling into something more exciting and even sane, drinking from Mikel’s eternal faith.

Hindley and Carapaz went with the bass, reacting to Joao Almeida, as we already know how Caldense does: in rhythm, without madness, conveying calm and composure. For 8.4 kilometers before the end, Almeida even caught up with the Spaniard, the Australian and the Ecuadorian, but soon Hindley accelerated, taking with him Carapaz and Landa, who was no longer catching up with Almeida.

João has always been relatively close to the trio who tried to outrun the Portuguese but couldn’t sway him, as if Almeida was a vision the rivals couldn’t take away from the rearview mirror. The elastic man didn’t come back, but he didn’t break again either.

The lost 14 seconds is evidence of the resistance of the UAE-Emirates leader keeping everything open in Caldense’s rosy dreams. Stage 17 will cover 168 kilometers between Ponte di Legno and Lavarone and, as is almost always the case this last week, will be very mountainous, with two first-class finishes in the final part of the run. At the opposite pole LandismJoao Almeida fights back, avoiding the shock but not turning to face the fight.