Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) could also be dwelling out a “dream come true” as he makes his debut on the Tour de France in assist of GC chief Tadej Pogačar however his future ambitions are larger and it is taking the yellow jersey at some point additional down the road that he’s actually dreaming of doing.
The Spaniard is considered one of biking’s high prospects having completed third general on the Vuelta at simply 19, the youngest ever podium finisher within the race. He was additionally two years youthful than Pogačar when he made his debut on the Tour in 2020 and snatched general from Primož Roglič on the stage 20 time trial as much as La Planche des Belles Filles.
With that stated, there isn’t a query of Ayuso’s loyalty to the Slovenian as he makes up simply a part of the Emirati squad’s stellar climbing assist for the Pogačar within the Tour, alongside Adam Yates and João Almeida. Being in a crew that wins the race outright “can be a very good begin,” he agrees, in direction of his personal profession objective.
“It’s a dream come true. I’ve stated many instances that it’s a race I went to see after I was on trip with my household after I was 10 or 12 years outdated,” Ayuso informed Cyclingnews on the Critérium du Dauphiné earlier this summer time.
“It’s the largest race in biking and it’s the largest dream. My dream is to personally win the Tour at some point. But to race my first Tour in a crew that wins it could be a very good begin.”
Ayuso and Pogačar have by no means raced a stage race collectively regardless of being on the identical crew since late 2021 when the Spanish rider joined the WorldTour, solely racing as teammates on a handful of events corresponding to final yr’s Giro dell’Emilia and the 2022 Flèche Wallonne.
But Ayuso believes the pair can kind a robust mixture on Italian and French roads on the Tour, taking inspiration from Yates’s scoring a career-best podium ultimately yr’s race whereas using for Pogačar.
“If I’ve the legs then I feel I may also help him. I’ve by no means raced a stage race with him so it’s tough to say however all the things appears simple with him, so I feel will probably be alright,” stated Ayuso.
“If Tadej is… you may’t name it safe, but when he’s comfy with a lead he has after which I also can get my alternative like Adam [Yates] had final yr and try to go for the rostrum or for stage victories, then that will probably be tremendous good.”
Ayuso was talking with out the context of Jonas Vingegaard’s confirmed return on the Tour and he deserted the Dauphiné a number of days later after hurting each hips through the high-speed mass crash on stage 5. Although these each lessened his probabilities, he recovered sufficient to make the eight-man roster.
After scoring a blended bag of leads to 2024 the place he was second-best solely to Vingegaard at Tirreno-Adriatico, took the GC win at Itzulia Basque Country however completed a disappointing fifth on the Tour de Romandie, Ayuso believes it’s a Tour parcours that fits him.
“I feel the Tour this yr is an efficient parcours for me. One of the time trials is flat, the place I feel I can carry out properly and one is tough, the place I feel I can defend myself,” he stated.
“Hard levels are laborious like they’re in every single place else so I feel it’s a very good race for me and I additionally cope properly the warmth.”
That stated, there was one clear UAE Team Emirates objective when requested what his precise position was going to be.
“I feel all of the crew is focussed on that,[Pogačar doing the Giro-Tour double] and that’s what we’re racing to realize.”
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