The cycling world is stumped by Pogacar, but after a bizarre winter, Ayuso could make UAE even stronger

There is no need to convince anyone that Juan Ayuso is a good cyclist. The Spaniard joined UAE Team Emirates-XRG in 2021, firing on all cylinders and ticking exactly the same boxes as Tadej Pogacar had two years earlier. The comparison was quickly made until Ayuso was injured, returned, fell ill, was sidelined again, and, after some chaos at the end of 2024, suddenly no longer seemed to be the prodigy of yesteryear. In 2025, the Spanish cycling talent is fighting back hard, and IDLProCycling.com figured out how he did it.

To explain the secret behind Ayuso's explosive start to the season, we need to go back to 2024 briefly. He started that season so well, with a win in the Faun-Ardèche Classic, a time trial victory in the Tirreno-Adriatico, an overall victory in the Basque Country, and a strong Tour de Romandie. After a poor performance in the Dauphiné due to a crash, Ayuso seemed ready to help Pogacar in the Tour de France and compete for a top ten finish himself. That is until he was infected with COVID-19 and had to abandon the race.

What happened next: Ayuso was criticized for his decision after he had already made no friends on the Tour and apparently refused to work for Pogacar. UAE Team Emirates did not take him to the Vuelta a España, and suddenly, transfer rumors surfaced. Ayuso stayed but announced a change at the team presentation in December. "I would like to focus more on climbing to close the gap to Tadej, Vingegaard, Roglic, and Evenepoel," he said with motivation.

The Spanish climber acknowledged that such a change could backfire ultimately, but he thought a little push was needed to get things going again. The outcome soon became clear. After a bizarre Strava KOM in the Sierra Nevada, Ayuso returned stronger than ever, winning the Faun Drome Classic and the Trofeo Laigueglia. He made a statement in the Ardeche, riding 40 kilometers solo, as he did in 2021 as the Giro Ciclistico d'Italia U23 winner.

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João Almeida gestures in stage 3 of the 2024 Tour for Ayuso (in last position) to take over in the lead

Ayuso took advantage of the winter to make great progress

What exactly did Ayuso do differently in the winter? Sports director Joxean Matxin said it wasn't just a matter of one or two things. "Juan is in good shape because he wants more every day. After consultation with the team this winter, he focused on growing, so he trained rigorously every day in the gym by stretching, recovering, and eating right... By doing all that half a percent more and better, you gain ten percent," said the Spaniard from UAE.

Ayuso spoke about 'progress' on Sunday after a Tirreno press conference with IDLProCycling.com. "I'd rather not show off, but whereas in other years I could always take one step forward, I took three or four this winter. I have made much progress, but I'd rather not talk about it because people will only remind me if I don't perform well later. However, I would be lying if I said everything was the same as last year. My winter training has paid off, and the metrics are good."

Ayuso, who is not usually so outspoken, explains why a different approach worked: "For the past three years, I always used the same training method, so my growth curve was mainly due to my body getting stronger and stronger. We added many other things this winter, although they are not bizarrely crazy. Think of the ways of training, nutrition, and going to the gym. I am a bit heavier this year; I was too light last year. In road cycling today, you need power more than anything else. That has helped me a lot."

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Ayuso cheers after his win in the Trofeo Laigueglia

How good is Juan Ayuso?

The big question is: what do Ayuso's victories say? And what does his second place in the opening time trial of the Tirreno say? How good is he? Isaac Del Toro could tell us a little more about it before Strade Bianche because he was the man who launched Ayuso in the Faun Drome Classic, with a lead-out for a solo of 40 kilometers. "I went all in like I always try to do," said the Mexican. "I don't know how many watts he pushed when he went even faster than me, but I was already at my limit."

Of course, during the winter and his first races with Ayuso, who is one year older, Del Toro noticed that his good friend had become a top cyclist. "But Juan hasn't changed for me or my teammates. They are my friends, but Juan is obviously at the top of his game right now. He can do great things in the future; let's see how good he can be. We will be happy for him if he does better than everyone expects. We are here to support him, just like Tadej."

That is precisely what Matxin also says: "Last year, he had a difficult moment because he suffered a setback after his Covid infection, and all the training had been for nothing. We now see the same thing with Jan Christen (who recently broke his collarbone, ed.). It is essential to support them and to keep believing in them. Since the winter, we haven't had to lift Juan's spirits. He quickly trained at altitude to prepare for the Tirreno, which he loves."

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"Pogacar is Pogacar and Ayuso is Ayuso"

Now that Ayuso says he is better than ever and is achieving metrics he has never achieved, everyone is excited to see how much margin he has left this year. Did he just have a very strong start, or will he be even better in the Giro d'Italia? "Normally, I start training intensively in December; this year, it was only in January. I built my form level more slowly, allowing me to get into shape faster than ever. I feel better than when I started the Tour last year, and I think I can improve even more towards the Giro."

That sounds promising, but in what category should we place him? Could the people who once compared him to Pogacar be right after all? Matxin shakes his head. "Tadej is Tadej, he is unique. But in my opinion, Juan is, too. In Spain, they compare riders to riders like Contador and Indurain, but Juan Ayuso is Juan Ayuso. It isn't useful to compare, and that goes for many young guys. If someone rises to the occasion, it is possible that other riders will follow in their footsteps. The level of cycling is growing every year, so we have to keep up."

Winning the Tirreno-Adriatico would be the next step before seeing him in Catalonia before the Giro. Confronted with his statements from December, Ayuso confirms that he now feels like more of a climber again. Still, his time trial in the Tirreno-Adriatico proved that he has hardly lost any time trial qualities. "I remain an all-rounder and especially want to prove what I achieved in this Tirreno. I want to show myself that I can win such races. If I succeed, I can start thinking about winning the Giro."

Bram van der Ploeg (Twitter: @BvdPloegg | email: [email protected])     

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