Juan, can you win the Vuelta? "I think so. It's very difficult, but not impossible." And again: do you feel the pressure? "The pressure doesn't affect me."Twenty years old, his face still bearing the pimples of his adolescence and a fearsome self-confidence. During the pre-Return a Juan Ayuso Many questions were asked and these are the ones that struck us the most.
The Ace of the UAE Emirates he is ready to face the great Spanish race for the second time, which is also his second major Giro. Last year his mentor Matxin told us that there was no stopping talent. Ayuso shouldn't have done it, too young (he hadn't even turned 20), but then he was so fast that it was impossible to hold him back. And in fact, he finished on the final podium in Madrid.
A a few hours from the start in Barcelona which, let us remember, will take place with a rather technical team time trial: 19 90-degree bends in 15 kilometers (and with the risk of rain), here is what one of the most eagerly awaited athletes had to say.
Legs okay
A year later Ayuso shows up at the starting line with all eyes on him, a little more ambition, and above all, a great deal of self-awareness. Not that a guy like that needed it, but between words and deeds...
"I'm fine," Ayuso said. "I've worked hard, even at altitude, all year. I would have preferred to get here without the crashes in Ordizia and Getxo. Compared to the previous edition, it will be difficult to do better, because it is about improving a podium, But I'll try. There are many very strong opponents, the best in the world. All that's missing is pogacar.
"In UAE there are two of us, two leaders, with Joao (Almeida(at his side in the opening photo, ed.) and I think this is an advantage. It broadens our strategies. The road will then provide a hierarchy but to fight against Remco , Jumbo Visma It's better to be two. I hope Vingegaard doesn't get to the top of his game! If Tadej had any problems against him, (Pogacar, ed.) let alone the others!».
A challenge that excites
But if his legs are fine, his head is no exception. Like all those destined for the future, when Juan speaks, it's never banal. He seems to have everything under control. He's fully aware of the situation. He openly says that Roglic and Vingegaard have something more than he and Almeida, but that a bad day can always happen, and that's precisely why it's important to ride well and have more cards to play.
You can really see, you can feel, that this challenge with Vingegaard, Roglic and Evenepoel is intriguing him. He's waiting, he can't wait to challenge them face to face. To test himself. To discover new horizons. To beat them... because, as all the coaches who have managed him have told us: Juan Ayuso is a racing animal.
«I feel very strong mentally and therefore ready to sacrifice myself fully, both against my opponents and considering the difficult moments that will arise over the next three weeks. Last year's Vuelta was something special, I will always remember it and it's the race that gave me a lot of confidence. It was the real experience."
And perhaps that's also where that handful of extra watts that Ayuso himself said he had this year comes from.
The importance of time trials
So the legs are there and the head is there too: the third element at stake is the race itself. Ayuso has defined the Vuelta route as the toughest of the Tour, and this in theory favors a climber like him.there are many climbs, even with extreme gradients – see the Angliru – and there is no shortage of time trial kilometers.
"Time trials," Ayuso explains, "can be decisive because we're often all very close on the climbs. But that doesn't worry me, because we've worked hard on them throughout the season. I've done both specific work and wind tunnel testing. I think time trials could be a good time for me."
Ayuso is confident, ambitious but not boastful; he's certainly intelligent. And in a way, he's the one who pours water on the fire, after the initial blasts.
«The goal is to try to win a stage "—Juan concludes—"I came close last year, but I didn't make it. Then comes the general classification. But I realize there are also more expectations on me, and I'll be more aggressive. It's part of the game. But it also means that there are a lot of people (fans and staff) who believe in me, and that's why I look at it on the positive side."
