Juan Ayuso proved he’s again to his greatest with general victory at Tirreno-Adriatico, including his title to this 12 months’s record of true Giro d’Italia contenders and reminding everybody that UAE Team Emirates-XRG is just not solely about Tadej Pogačar.
The 22-year-old Spaniard seems to undergo in Pogačar’s shadow however then blooms when he can goal his personal main targets. With Pogačar focusing on the Classics this spring, Ayuso was capable of prepare particularly for Tirreno-Adriatico and also will lead UAE on the Volta a Catalunya, earlier than specializing in the Giro.
“This was a giant objective from the start of the season, in the direction of the Giro. It was the primary large step I wished to take,” Ayuso mentioned at Tirreno-Adriatico with satisfaction, rewarding himself with an additional day without work in Italy along with his girlfriend and household as a private reward.
“I wanted to show myself, and I wanted to indicate that I’m prepared, and I believe I’ve achieved it.
“This winter I’ve improved so much. I did not progress in 2023, I had set again after set again, then final 12 months, having COVID-19 on the Tour. I needed to go house, then I simply by no means recovered. In biking they are saying that you simply’re pretty much as good as your final race, and my final races of final season have been horrible.”
Ayuso is in his fourth season at UAE Team Emirates however he’s nonetheless solely 22. He is prodigious expertise for his age however nonetheless studying.
The chilly and rain of Tirreno-Adiatico tempered his character.
The newest race content material, interviews, options, critiques and knowledgeable shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
“We’re going to have some days like this on the Giro and so I’ve to get used to it,” he mentioned.
“Tirreno was an particularly arduous second with the chilly. After the day of 240km, I assumed it could not go worse, after which the subsequent day it was even colder and on the downhill. There have been fairly some delicate moments that I needed to get by means of.
“I knew I needed to keep concentrated and simply look forward to Saturday’s mountain end after which attempt to make a distinction there. It labored out that means.”
Working tougher than ever
Ayuso claimed he has labored tougher than ever this winter, including health club work to his prepare schedule, enhancing his weight loss plan and hitting his race weight early within the 12 months after a pre-season block of altitude coaching.
“This staff offers us all the things to carry out however my standpoint is that I work extraordinarily arduous too,” he defined.
“I principally have not been house for 2 and a half months. I weigh all the things I eat, I prepare as arduous as I can, even when it is raining. I do what I’ve to do. It’s arduous however in the long run, it pays off. Cycling this factor that should you work arduous, it offers again nevertheless it’s extraordinarily arduous.”
Ayuso believed much less is extra as he targets the Giro d’Italia for the primary time in his profession.
“I’ve at all times cracked on the Tour de Romandie up to now. So if I wished to be properly within the Giro, then my preparation needed to be totally different,” he defined.
“This 12 months I’ll do Catalunya, have a couple of week and a half at house, after which three weeks in Sierra Nevada, after which I’m going on to the Giro.”
“I believe I can nonetheless carry on enhancing. If I handle to get better from these races, and the physique takes all of it in, then I ought to enhance one other step, after which with one other altitude coaching camp, I can maybe be even higher.”
Comparisons with Pogačar
Spanish newspaper AS described Ayuso because the Spanish Pogačar. He doesn’t take care of comparisons with Pogačar or the greats of the previous. He is concentrated on his personal profession and his personal success. That can appear egotistical however Ayuso is just bold.
“I do not like comparisons, one, as a result of they’re all higher riders than me and two as a result of I’d wish to be myself, win the races I must win and lose the races I must lose.
“Last 12 months it was fairly a special 12 months as a result of it was the primary time the most important objective of the season (the Tour de France) was not in the direction of me, it was in the direction of a teammate (Pogačar) and it isn’t one thing I’m used to doing. This 12 months, my largest objective is the Giro and so the stress falls on me, and that’s one thing I like.
“Tadej is the most effective rider on the planet, so it’s important to race for him. So each each likelihood you get on this staff, it’s important to actually present and show you are price it. I’m glad that I may win right here.”