Juan Ayuso started the 2024 season on Monday with high expectations, having just finished a successful winter of preparation and with the promise of making his Tour de France debut in the summer. Competing for the first time this year, Ayuso finished a commendable, if not spectacular, 20th in Clasica Jaén for UAE Team Emirates, where Movistar’s fellow Spaniard Oiel Lazcano came from behind to take a stunning victory.
Ayuso and Lazcano are two of Spain’s young prospects who aim to follow in the footsteps of riders like Alejandro Valverde and win top races. But filling the boots of a bygone Spanish star is not such an easy task, as Ayuso reflected at UAE team Emirates’ training camp in Spain over the winter.
“They left us with a bit of a difficult task, our legends like Valverde, [Alberto] Contador, Purito [Rodríguez] And all the other gaps are difficult to fill,” Ayuso said. GCN and other media personnel.
While Lazcano appears to be stepping cautiously into the one-day racing void left by four-time Liège-Bastogne-Liège winner Valverde, Ayuso is looking forward to success in stage races and the first race since Alberto Contador. He has his eyes firmly set on becoming the Spaniard who wins the Grand Tour.
Since the height of Contador’s success, which brought him seven Grand Tour titles, only Movistar’s Enric Mas has come close to flying the Spanish flag on the top step of the podium, with several wins at the Vuelta a España. He recorded a 2nd place finish and his name.
But the truth is that Ayuso, who finished third in the Vuelta in his first full season as a professional, is the greatest talent this country has produced since the man known as El Pistolero. Furthermore, Ayuso is only 21 years old and is already representing a new generation of Spanish riders.
The burden placed on young shoulders may be a well-deserved compliment for Ayuso, but it also raises obvious questions. Is he too young to take on the responsibility of taking the reins of Spanish cycling?
“It’s not a burden to me,” Ayuso quickly replied. “It’s just that we had some legends in our country. It was because of them that I started cycling, and it gave me the dream that I could do it too.” My motivation is knowing that I can be as good as I am. It’s more of a motivation than a pressure. ”
read more: Adam Yates, Vine, Sivakov and Almeida focus on Vuelta a España as UAE Team Emirates secures Grand Tour spot
“I grew up watching Contador and Valverde ride the Tour, so now I can be one of them.”
The charismatic Ayuso is the superstar promised when he became the youngest rider in Vuelta a España history to finish on the podium just a few years ago. Since then, he has won stages at both the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de Romandie, and his elegant bike riding style paints the image of a rider who rarely gets into trouble.
Ayuso, who finished fourth in the Vuelta a España, has been overthrown as arguably Spain’s biggest challenger to Grand Tour success. And with the support of the No. 1-ranked UCI World Team, he will have all the tools in the world at his disposal.
But what stands out in our conversation with the Spaniard is not the pressure to succeed that might come with such a position, or the burden of becoming Spain’s latest great champion, but rather his That is the continued importance of sports heroes in the story.
After spending two seasons in the Vuelta a España as part of his coaching program, Ayuso has been selected in the UAE Team Emirates squad for this summer’s Tour de France, alongside Adam Yates and Tadej Pogačar. It will be an unforgettable moment for the 21-year-old to make his debut in the sport’s biggest race.
read more: Adam Yates: UAE Team Emirates Tour de France team will be a little difficult
“When I started riding bikes, my dream was always to ride the Tour. I grew up watching Contador, Valverde and Purito ride the Tour, and now I’m joining the Tour too. I was able to be a part of that, and that’s definitely a big motivator.”
For some, the Tour de France is a distant sight that captures the imagination through a television screen – Ayuso’s teammate Isaac del Toro remembers watching Nairo Quintana on TV as a child in Mexico. But for those living in Europe, the Tour is possible – admiring its appearance from the roadside and inspiring thousands of young cyclists – told GCN.
“When I was a kid, I think it was two or three summers ago that I went to the Alps or the Pyrenees to see the Tour,” Ayuso said. “[Chris] Froome was dominant at the time, and Contador was among them.
“I’m happy to be able to make my debut in a race that I’ve been going to since I was a child, and to be able to compete now, wearing a tour jersey that was too big because they didn’t have one in my size.” This is the greatest thing I can have as a cyclist. It’s a dream of mine, and it will be very emotional to be able to ride it myself this year. ”
At the time, the Tour de France was both within reach and a dream for Ayuso. But there was always an ambition to reach the top of the sport. Despite being born in Barcelona, Ayuso grew up on Spain’s east coast and excelled in the junior ranks before signing for UAE team Emirates at the age of 17. His talent far exceeded his age and was a testament to the athlete that team principal Matosin Joséan Fernández was looking to add to the squad with a five-year contract.
“Ever since I was little, I hated losing and would throw a tantrum if I didn’t win. Now I lose more than I win, so I’ve tried to keep that in mind. That’s why I don’t get too angry when I lose.” he laughed.
“Now I look at things with more maturity. At the end of the day, I’m sacrificing my whole life. I always try to do my best, but I put a lot of effort into it. You want to be the best, too. You may or may not be able to achieve that, but that’s part of the motivation, and it makes each sacrifice easier.”
Since his first signing, Ayuso has put pen to paper on a new contract until the end of 2028, and with two strong performances at the Vuelta a España, the Spaniard is set to prove himself on the sport’s grandest stage. Ready to do.
UAE Team Emirates eyes different cards to beat Vandigoor in Tour de France
It wasn’t necessarily planned for Ayuso to compete in the Tour de France this year. Instead, the 21-year-old initially spent his first few seasons riding the Vuelta and Giro d’Italia, as well as Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), before taking on the Tour in his fourth professional year. I was thinking of taking a similar path. Year. Not surprisingly, the growth of the Spaniards has thrown a welcome wrench into those plans.
“My debut was brought forward because I was scheduled to debut at the Giro a year before I joined the Tour, but they saw my progress and felt I was ready, so they encouraged the team to make my debut at the Tour early. and they agreed.”
Eyebrows were raised when Ayuso’s name was added to UAE Team Emirates’ interim squad for the Tour de France, alongside the likes of Pavel Sivakov and Joao Almeida. All three are capable of leading other teams, but they will certainly start behind Tadej Pogačar and Adam Yates in the race. This summer’s team hierarchy. Contrary to initial concerns, Ayuso was quick to insist that the strength of the UAE’s mountaineering sector in France was not an obstacle but a huge benefit to the team.
read more: ‘It’s not my problem! ‘ said João Almeida of the UAE’s Tour de France hierarchy.
“Tadei has proven that he is number one and the leader of the team, but Juumbo has shown that he can use a different card at the Vuelta a España,” he pointed out. “We’ve done that on tour and that’s what we have to do to make the most of it for Tadei.”
The Spaniard faced a numerical challenge at last season’s Vuelta, with Sepp Kuss, Jonas Wingegaard and Primož Roglič finishing 1-2-3 at Jumbo-Visma, with Ayuso just ahead of the podium. I couldn’t match my performance. 2022. However, with fourth place being his best finish, the 21-year-old heads into 2024 as a mature rider and ready to seize any opportunities that come his way.
Ayuso is eyeing an opportunity and will aim to face compatriot Carlos Rodriguez
Ayuso will naturally start the Tour as a mainstay alongside Pogacar. Still, the Slovenian himself started the 2020 Tour de France as Fabio Aru’s Domestic Deluxe before surrounding Roglič to take his first Tour win. Pogačar is scheduled to pre-enter the Giro d’Italia for the first time in his career, but it remains to be seen whether his assigned team role at the Grand Des Parts on June 29 will remain the same once the race arrives in Nice. I don’t know.
Ayuso is confident that he is ready to take on team leadership should the need arise, as he is well aware that once the flag falls, there is no telling what will happen.
“If I have a chance, of course I won’t give up. It’s a big responsibility and I’m going to prepare as best as I can to be in the best condition and take advantage of the opportunity, whatever the race situation is,” he said.
read more: Vuelta a España pro bike: Juan Ayuso’s Colnago V4R
“Tadej is a leader, but he is not going to give up on the opportunities that the team and the race give him. Of course, if the situation calls for it, he will go into it thinking about winning a stage and being able to fight for his personal goals on GC. .
Before last year’s Tour de France, there were four fallow events without a Spanish stage winner, much to the disappointment of the people who had high expectations. But last year, Spain had wins by three different riders, the most since Contador won the Tour in 2009. Spanish players such as Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers), Perro Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) and Ion Izaguirre (Cofidis) played an active role. In the former, Ayuso is looking for motivation ahead of his debut this summer.
“Winning a stage is a huge thing, I’m jealous of Carlos.” [Rodríguez] I’ve always been with him and this year he was able to accomplish that, so it was a little bit like that,” he admitted. “That healthy sense of competition is part of my motivation, and I want to be as prepared as possible to achieve that again this year.”
Whether it’s pushing a stumbling Pogačar’s space on the GC, his own stage win or the admirable job he’s done on behalf of his teammates, Ayuso is fit and motivated. He will be one of the strongest climbers in this year’s Tour de France. . He will also be one of the happiest players to start for the Grand Des Parts in Emily Romagna.
For a man who wore oversized jerseys and cheered on the likes of Alberto Contador from the sidelines as a child, every time he presses the pedal this summer, it will be a lifelong dream come true. And Ayuso can be very proud of that.
“When I’m in the car every day, it doesn’t feel like work. The best thing is to live according to my dreams, what I’ve wanted since I was seven years old. For me, to celebrate the victories. Like raising my arm, this is what fulfills me the most.”