The official announcement has finally arrived. Juan Ayuso will be a rider in the Lidl Trek. After many rumours that he wanted to join the American team and after some indications that he would first turn to Ineos Grenadiers and then to the Movistar, at the end the one who prevailed was Luca Guercilena, team manager of Lidl-Trek.
Ourselves, in a post based on reliable rumors, we had anticipated that the Ayuso deal was now a done deal. The Spaniard was moving to the American team in an operation which, according to our sources, had a total cost of approximately 25 million: it is estimated that 10 went to the UAE Emirates and 15 (3 per year) to the rider who signed a five-year contract, therefore until 2030. Wise choice considering he's just 23 years old.
To find out how this negotiation went We spoke with Guercilena, who seemed quite enthusiastic about starting a new challenge with Ayuso, a boy with great potential and undisputed talent.
Well, Luca, the news has officially arrived…
It was clear that we had a certain interest in an ideal athlete for the general classification. As soon as he managed to reach an agreement with the team for his exit, we organized ourselves to bring home the result. Never like this time, was it an opportunity we could not miss.
Knowing how strong Pogacar, Vingegaard and Evenepoel are, if you have to invest in a fourth, is it Ayuso?
Exactly, above all in 2022-2023 he had shown himself to be competitive for the rankings, even in one-week races. Obviously, if there was an opportunity on the market and this was Ayuso, it had to be investigated and concluded: we managed to convince him.
What can you tell us about how this negotiation went?
Ayuso's opportunities within his former team were clearly limited, also due to the presence of other great champions. For an athlete looking for a better chance of leading a Grand Tour, our team could be the difference. We proposed our medium- and long-term project to him, offering him opportunities that were more difficult for him to obtain in that context, that of his former team.
When did the negotiations begin: already during the Giro d'Italia, given the situation at home UAE?
A little later, I'd say. Obviously, people had started paying attention. Our line of maneuver is not to break contracts left and right. It is clear that if an athlete puts himself on the market in an uncomfortable situation, we are careful.But a chat is one thing, a formal offer is another. I'm talking about an offer with all the trimmings and in compliance with the regulations. The actual contacts took place after the Tour de France.
Ayuso had a multi-year contract with the UAE EmiratesDid you have to pay a clause?
No, the agreement was found based on the total investment we wanted to make. Then it was up to his agent to find a solution with his former team. Our proposal was made exclusively to the rider's agent (Giovanni Lombardi, ed.).
Ayuso also changes your team's overall plans a lot, Luca. Will we see two Lidl Treks, one for the stages and one for the classification?
It is clear that if we want to be competitive at a high level and try to win one of the three Grand Tours or the team classification, the idea is to focus on a leader with a dedicated team. As for the other two Tours, however, we can focus more on the stages, which is what we've done so far. Then which one is the Grand Tour will depend on the routes. But if you aim for the standings, it is clear that you need a completely dedicated team, as demonstrated by the Visma-Lease a Bike , UAEThis doesn't mean excluding other talented athletes a priori, but winning requires a group built around a leader.
Where did the signing take place?
Almost everything is done online now, there's no longer the need to sign documents by hand. After the Tour de France, when we sensed there was a real possibility of it becoming available, we did a meeting to align ourselves on sporting expectations and his leadershipOnce an agreement was reached, the agent handled all the paperwork. Finally, the agreement was signed digitally.
Where were you when you signed?
I was at home at the time, and I imagine he was too. There's certified software for legal digital signatures: the document is uploaded to the cloud and signed by both parties.
At Lidl-Trek, the head coach is Spaniard Josu Larrazabal: is there already a connection between the two Iberians?
There's been some discussion, but we haven't gone into detail yet. We always respect the work of our colleagues: Since Juan is not on the team with us, schedules and performance discussions will be addressed later. In the December and January retreats.
Did Ayuso ask you any specific questions or say anything that struck you?
No, I think the structures are similar for all teams now. However, I liked that he was interested in our long-term project, in the stability and ambitions of the sports group. He knows that we want to become a reference team and which must be an important part of a project in which the priority is always the team.
Who does Ayuso remind you of, from what little you've told us so far?
From a technical point of view, I couldn't say, because we haven't had any great leaders in the standings. As for character, however, it reminded me Paul Bettini. I saw a direct, decisive boy, who gets straight to the point without too many words... like Paolo did.
