Juan Ayuso’s supposed reluctance to work for Tadej Pogačar on the Col du Galibier on stage 4 of the Tour de France was very visibly flagged by the gesticulating of his teammate João Almeida, however the Spaniard has insisted there are “no issues” throughout the UAE Team Emirates squad.
Almeida carried out a key function in teeing up Pogačar’s eventual assault on the Galibier, however 3km from the summit, he turned and referred to as for help from Ayuso, who was tucked close to the again of the decreased entrance group.
Ayuso heeded the decision shortly afterwards, taking the reins from Almeida. Pogačar would later forge clear within the remaining kilometre of the Galibier to take each the stage victory and the yellow jersey, whereas Ayuso sprinted to 3rd place over the opposite aspect in Valloire, which leaves him in fourth place general, 1:10 behind.
Speaking at first of stage 5 in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne on Wednesday, Ayuso downplayed the importance of his shouted trade with Almeida.
“Within the staff, issues are calm, there aren’t any issues,” Ayuso said, according to AS. “It’s true that typically these gestures are pointless, and yesterday they have been pointless, however it’s what it’s.”
Ayuso’s view of the incident echoed that of Pogačar throughout his press convention on Tuesday night. “You know whenever you go full gasoline, even for those who simply wish to say to one of many guys, ‘I really like you’, you could shout,” Pogačar joked.
On Wednesday morning, UAE Team Emirates sports activities supervisor Matxin Joxean Fernandez defined that the headwind on the Galibier meant his staff had deviated from the same old tactic of getting riders swing off after taking lengthy activates the entrance. Instead, Almedia, Ayuso and Adam Yates seemed to share the workload by swapping turns. “In the headwind it was higher to not have lengthy pulls and to alter for the restoration,” Matxin stated.
Sports director Andrej Hauptman dismissed the concept that Ayuso had been seeking to his personal GC aspirations by settling in behind the group, insisting that his place had come about by likelihood somewhat than by design.
“No, that is racing,” Hauptman advised Cyclingnews. “All are combating for place, there’s at all times somebody a bit behind. This is biking.
“We did the debrief as regular. There was nothing to say. All the fellows agreed we did a tremendous job.”
Although Ayuso simply 20 seconds off a podium place, each Hauptman and Matxin insisted that the staff’s sole focus is on claiming the yellow jersey in Nice with Pogačar. A repeat of final 12 months, when Adam Yates joined Pogačar on the rostrum in Paris, shouldn’t be within the staff’s plans.
“When Tadej wants different riders, even when they’re excessive in GC, they are going to at all times assist,” stated Hauptman.
“No, it’s just one chief,” Matxin confirmed. “We experience for Tadej. The solely focus is to experience for Tadej.”
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