Joao Almeida Wins Stage 8 Tour de Suisse Uphill Time Trial

The 2025 Tour de Suisse featured a dramatic penultimate stage where João Almeida of Team UAE claimed his fourth stage win in two years by sprinting to victory on a summit finish, closing the gap to overall leader Kevin Vauquelin to just 33 seconds. The stage included challenging climbs, with Almeida outperforming strong contenders such as Oscar Onley and Julian Alaphilippe, who remain in podium contention heading into the final uphill individual time trial. Stage 8, a 10-kilometer uphill time trial from Beckenried to Stockhütte, was set to be decisive, favoring climbers and time trial specialists, with riders like Harry Sweeny and Danish rider Mikkel Bjerg competing for key time gains. Vauquelin held onto the yellow jersey but faced pressure from Almeida, Alaphilippe, Onley, and Felix Gall, all within striking distance in the general classification. The race provided a thrilling buildup to the Tour de France, with the final stage expected to deliver a dramatic conclusion to this week-long event. Additionally, Canadian rider Hugo Houle made aggressive efforts in breakaways, while his team's chances were impacted by the withdrawal of Matthew Riccitello.