UAE had a talk with Ayuso: "He knows that if you help someone, they will gladly do the same for you later"

What will Tadej Pogacar do in 2025? This is one of the biggest questions for the upcoming cycling season. Wherever the UAE Team Emirates star shows up, the chances of victory for everyone else plummet drastically. Even within his own team, other leaders often have to look elsewhere for opportunities, just to ensure a fair shot at racing for themselves. So, we might cautiously draw some conclusions from the latest rumors.

That Pogacar will ride the Tour de France in 2025 is beyond doubt. It’s his race—the one in which he is the defending champion and where he could secure his fourth victory. That would tie him with Chris Froome and leave him just one shy of the record of five victories shared by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. Everyone is also eagerly awaiting his showdown with Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, who also seem poised to target France again.

While Pogacar took on the Giro d’Italia last season, rumors from Italy suggest he’ll skip that race in 2025. Instead, the Vuelta a España is expected to be his second Grand Tour, alongside the Tour, something Pogacar has cryptically hinted at himself. "The World Championships will be the hardest race to defend, but I prefer to go to races I haven’t won yet," he cryptically hinted.

In an interview with In Bici, UAE team director Fabio Baldato stated that aside from the Vuelta, Pogacar has one more priority: Milan-San Remo. "He has won the Giro and the Tour, but he still needs to win the Vuelta. So, I expect him to race in Spain. But above all, Tadej wants to win in San Remo, so we will do our best to put him in the best possible position to compete. It’s the toughest race for him, going up against fast and explosive riders, but when Tadej sets his mind on something, he’s determined to achieve it."

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Tadej Pogacar

Ayuso and Del Toro heading to the Giro d'Italia?

This could make the Giro d’Italia the designated race for UAE Team Emirates to back other leaders — riders who want to compete for the general classification without having to worry about Pogacar. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juan Ayuso is already prominently on the shortlist for the Giro. The Spaniard faced heavy criticism in 2024 when he seemed unwilling (or unable) to fully support Pogacar and was subsequently left out of the Vuelta lineup. Team manager Joxean Matxin recently remarked: “If Tadej rides one race, we’ll send someone like Juan to another as the leader.”

In an interview with Eurosport, Matxin was full of praise for his Spanish climber. "He has already shown what he’s capable of by finishing third in the Vuelta a España, where he competed with the best. Ayuso is a rider with great character, immense potential, and talent. He is a winner. I’m convinced we’ll see him succeed in 2025. Will he ever win a grand tour? I have no doubt about it. But even if he needs to work for someone else, he will do it, as he has already shown. He’ll ride a grand tour, but also in support of others. He’s a team player and someone who understands very well that if you help someone, they will gladly do the same for you later."

That plan is likely music to the ears of the young climbing talent. But what about João Almeida, Adam Yates, Pavel Sivakov, and the other top riders? According to La Gazzetta, the very young Isaac Del Toro may also be in contention for the Giro. This might give Giro director Mauro Vegni a small consolation. While Vegni will officially unveil the route in January, he has reportedly already sent the outline to Pogacar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel, and Primoz Roglic. However, expecting all four to show up at the starting line in May seems like wishful thinking.