Vuelta a España director Javier Guillén has known as on UAE Team Emirates to incorporate Juan Ayuso of their line-up for the race, which will get underway in Lisbon on August 17.
Ayuso was not initially slated to experience this yr’s Vuelta, and he has not raced since he deserted the Tour de France on stage 13 after testing constructive for COVID-19. Later within the Tour, UAE Team Emirates supervisor Mauro Gianetti reiterated that Ayuso wouldn’t be included of their Vuelta line-up, the place Adam Yates and João Almeida are set to steer.
“As of at present, we do not have affirmation of Ayuso,” Guillén informed AS. “The riders have their preparations achieved and I do not assume it is easy to take away a rider from a crew to place one other one in.
“Still, as a Spanish race, I ask the crew to carry Ayuso. But I ask it with affection, I ask it cordially and I ask it with understanding of the circumstances. Certainly, the rider, the race and the nation want Ayuso to be there.”
Ayuso was 5 days in need of his twentieth birthday when he positioned third on the 2022 Vuelta, turning into the second youngest rider ever to complete on the rostrum of a Grand Tour. He positioned fourth general on his return to the race final yr, and he gained Itzulia Basque Country earlier this season.
However, Ayuso’s abandon on his Tour debut – to not point out obvious tensions with Almeida on the Galibier – has led to hypothesis that he would possibly depart UAE this winter regardless of being underneath contract till 2028. Ayuso will experience for Spain within the Olympic Games highway race in Paris on Saturday.
Ayuso’s teammate Tadej Pogačar, already winner of the Giro and Tour, has confirmed that he won’t chase an historic Grand Tour treble on the Vuelta, whereas Jonas Vinegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and 2022 winner Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) have additionally dominated themselves out of the Spanish race.
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Defending champion Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) is predicted to experience the Vuelta after COVID-19 pressured him to overlook the Tour, whereas Guillén expressed hope that three-time champion Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) can even compete after a crash ended his Tour problem.
“I’m assured that Roglič can be there,” Guillén stated. “We’re relying on him, nevertheless it’s clear that he’ll solely come if he is match sufficient to contest the race. We know that Bora will carry a crew to assist him, as UAE will include severe aspirations to win, with Adam Yates who might be one of many candidates.”
Guillén additionally indicated that Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) would line out on the Vuelta, and he expressed hope that Ineos would possibly discipline each Carlos Rodríguez and Egan Bernal, although the British crew has but to substantiate as a lot.
“I’m optimistic due to how [Rodríguez] completed the Tour and his statements afterwards,” stated Guillén.
“We heard that [Wout] van Aert might come as a result of he was initially going to do the Giro and Vuelta. But we do not have the Visma record but, so we do not know. We additionally assume that Bernal can be there, however he hasn’t informed us both. I believe in subsequent week we can have extra strong confirmations than now we have now.”
Guillén accepted, nonetheless, that Pogačar was unlikely to be swayed from his determination to not experience the Vuelta this yr, although the Slovenian hinted strongly throughout the Tour that he would possibly return to the race in 2025. Pogačar positioned third general on his Grand Tour debut on the 2019 Vuelta.
“We consider that in some unspecified time in the future he should come and experience,” Guillén stated. “There are only a few within the membership of winners of all three Grand Tours, clearly, and I suppose he’ll need to win it in some unspecified time in the future.”