Joao Almeida announced his intention to return to the Giro d'Italia in 2023 after his challenge for this year's Giro d'Italia ended in the final week with a COVID-19 diagnosis.

He then finished fifth overall at his debut Vuelta a España, helping Juan Ayuso of UAE Team Emirates to a podium finish.

Almeida has competed in the Giro for three seasons so far. In 2020, his first year with Quick Step, Almeida wore the Maria Rosa for two weeks before finishing fourth overall in Milan. The following season, after sharing the leadership with Remco Evenpoel, he finished sixth overall.

In his first season with UAE Team Emirates, Almeida was the sole leader in the Giro.

"I want to focus on the Giro again," Almeida told The National (opens in new tab) at the first preseason gathering of UAE Team Emirates in Abu Dhabi.

"I've had a pretty good year, but I expected a little more from the Giro. Overall, we learned a lot and got some good results."

Almeida had a solid debut campaign with UAE Team Emirates, finishing fifth in the UAE Tour, eighth in Paris-Nice, third in Volta a Catalunya, and second in Vuelta a Burgos.

Tadej Pogachar will be back in the Tour de France in 2023 with UAE Team Emirates, hoping to regain the title lost to Jonas Vingegaard last July. It remains to be seen where Ayuso will be placed, but the Giro route has about 70 km of time trials and seems to fit Almeida's characteristics well.

Almeida's former teammate Evenpoel is also expected to take part, although he has not yet confirmed his participation, and Geraint Thomas (Ineos) has also indicated that he may be on the start line in Abruzzo on May 6.