As the script predicted, Giro d'Italia debutant Dečuninck-Quickstep extended its lead in the Valdobbiadene time trial and suddenly looked like it could win it all. The role was written for Remco Evenpoel, but whatever happens from here to Milan, Joan Almeida proved to be more than just a substitute. [Signs of this had already appeared throughout Almeida's neo-professional season. All the while, however, Almeida was quietly speaking his lines, finishing ninth behind Evenpoel at the Volta ao Algarve in February, third behind Evenpoel at the Vuelta a Burgos, and seventh at the Tour de Ain.

After Evenpoel's season came to a close at Il Lombardia in August, Almeida gradually rose to prominence, finishing second at the Giro delle Miglia four days later and third at the Settimana Coppi e Bartali. In the Giro, he rode well in the opening time trial in Palermo and took over the maglia rosa from Filippo Ganna on the summit of Mount Etna on stage 3.

On Friday evening, Almeida confessed that he had never ridden such a long time trial. Almeida's chances of keeping the jersey were largely expected, but no one expected him to finish the day with a lead of more than two minutes over everyone except Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb), who finished second.

Almeida, who finished the stage in sixth place, 1:31 behind Ganna, was 56 seconds ahead of Kelderman, 2:11 ahead of Pero Bilbao (Bahrain McLaren), 2:30 ahead of Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo), and was more than four minutes ahead.

"I made more time than I expected," Almeida admitted Saturday evening in Valdobbiadene. "I thought I would lose time to Kelderman, and I thought it would be a close race with Nibali. But in the end I was able to improve my time.

In Saturday's time trial, there was a tough climb up Ca del Poggio after 7km, and Almeida was fourth fastest at that point. He fell back slightly in the next two time checks, but finished strongly in the run-in to Valdobbiadene. This was all part of a pre-determined strategy, Almeida said.

"We had a plan, we ran according to it, and it worked out in the end," Almeida said. "It's definitely the climbs that are the easiest to make time on, so I pushed hard on the climbs and tried to rest a little bit on the descents. The middle part of the race was a bit difficult, but I slowed down a bit there and wasn't afraid to come back strong at the end. It was my longest time trial, so I didn't have much experience."

Almeida has mastered the longest time trial, but he is only two-thirds of the way through the longest race. Like Brandon McNulty, who is currently fourth overall, this is the first time he has raced 14 days in a row. Almeida said, "My longest race, I believe, was the Baby Giro, which was 10 days in a row," but the Portuguese rider seems to be getting used to the event's longer distances.

On Sunday, Almeida will face another tough test on the three passes leading to the demanding summit finish in Piacavallo. Almeida was in the pink on Etna, but could not match the acceleration of the last kilometer on Roccaraso. But for better or worse, neither stage was comparable to the trials he would face on Sunday and beyond.

"I felt good today," Almeida said. 'I think everybody is a little bit tired. Tomorrow is an important day, but after that it's a rest day and I can rest my mind a little bit. This is the most important thing for me. I'm going to learn a little bit every day and see how I react in the final week. "

The recent history of the Giro has been marked by men who get the pink jersey early and pay the price for their efforts at the end of the race. It remains to be seen whether a replacement for Stelvio, for example, will be needed, but Almeida dismissed the notion that he has spent too much energy chasing bonus seconds while wearing the Maria Rosa for so long.

"Any energy is important, but I'm not scared," he said. 'If I had attacked alone in yesterday's final, it might have cost me something. I think we all had to use energy. I'm not afraid to do anything. I'll just keep racing my race."