Juan Ayuso fended off Primož Roglič by the barest minimal doable to say each stage win and lead within the Volta a Catalunya on Wednesday, however given the narrowness of his success, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG racer was logically very cautious about his probabilities of total victory in Sunday in Barcelona.
After 218 kilometres and greater than 5,000 metres of vertical climbing, the Volta’s opening excessive mountain stage at La Molina was determined by only a few millimetres distinction in a two-up duel between the principle pre-race favourites.
However, given the principle GC battle solely actually erupted within the closing kilometre when Roglič attacked, on the end line simply two seconds separated the stage leaders from third-placed Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep), and an enormous group of 21 favourites was solely one other 4 seconds again. Overall, practically 30 riders are nonetheless inside a minute on the high of the classification.
Yet for all its slightness, Ayuso’s benefit is simple. As the 22-year-old identified afterwards, the Volta total has typically been determined by the barest minimal, so any alternative to realize time is all the time crucial and will show decisive. Meanwhile, after the primary of three huge mountain levels – and the following is simply 24 hours distant – the Volta GC stays poised on a knife-edge.
“I knew that in La Molina these sorts of finales can play out like that,” Ayuso, nicely wrapped-up in opposition to the chilly because the early night temperatures started to plummet on the Catalan ski station, informed reporters afterwards.
“The climb has numerous factors the place you possibly can catch your breath and it may be very windy, in order that’s why I did not need to transfer any sooner, I needed to wait to make my transfer.
“Of course the GC is the principle objective, however it’s additionally essential to win levels, as a result of these include bonus seconds and sometimes this race has all been determined by lower than 10 seconds.”
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Ayuso agreed that it had been a good however robust dash, and after being badly positioned within the essential closing nook, he was each grateful to Roglič for not closing him in and relieved to have taken a victory the place the Slovenian was quick slicing down on his benefit when the 2 crossed the road.
“The closing right here could be very tough, as a result of you’ve got the left flip at simply 150 metres to go. I knew needed to get the final flip first and I did not, so already after I took the flip I knew I needed to attempt as a result of I had no time to lose,” he stated.
“I used to be attempting to come back up on the surface, however Primoz behaved like a champion as a result of one other rival might need shut me in and even made me crash and he made it a good dash, so chapeau to him. Then we needed to go to the road and I’m glad I might beat him. I managed to win in opposition to an incredible rival.”
Ayuso stated he had each further motivation to battle for his win, his fifth of the season, and a particular victory dedication to make – to his aunt, who died final week.
“That was the one factor I used to be fascinated with within the final kilometre: that I wanted to win come what could, so this in fact goes out to her. It’s a pleasant emotion after a really troublesome few days.”
The 22-year-old’s newest win represents one other chapter in a season the place all of the playing cards are falling his means, with success within the Faun Drome Classic, Trofeo Laigueglia and Tirreno-Adriatico adopted by recent triumphs on dwelling soil. All this, too, on a day when UAE additionally received in Belgium in a crash-marred Classic Brugge-De Panne with Juan Sebastian Molano.
However, the principle challenges of the Volta a Catalunya are solely simply starting, Ayuso recognised, and as he stated, the race is way from over. Thursday is one other summit end, at Montserrat, after which the hardest stage of all awaits on Saturday within the mountains of central Catalunya.
“It’s essential, that is the primary battle of week, ” he stated, “however we nonetheless have two very laborious mountain days left and in addition there’s the final stage, you by no means know what can occur there. The job remains to be not completed.”