Where there's smoke, there's fire: Ayuso responds evasively to rumors of departure and backup role in Vuelta

He was supposed to be one of Tadej Pogacar's key domestiques in the Tour de France and was also expected to achieve a strong overall classification in his debut at La Grande Boucle. However, a minor incident on the slopes of the Col du Galibier and a COVID-19 infection turned into a disappointment for Juan Ayuso. The Vuelta a España became his next goal, but now he suddenly finds himself on the backup list.

And it seems Ayuso is not willing to accept this. The 21-year-old Spaniard, who took the spotlight two years ago with a podium finish in his Vuelta debut, appears unable to live with being relegated to the bench. He’s had enough: Ayuso was eager to start in the Vuelta a España, which kicks off in Lisbon this year. Being seemingly passed over is a bitter pill to swallow for the super talent. As a result, it seems he is on his way out of the UAE team, according to Cicloweb.

Earlier, both parties were extremely happy with their partnership: Ayuso, who made a huge impression in his first full year as a pro cyclist, extended his contract with UAE-Team Emirates in 2022 until 2028 (!). Two years later, the partnership appears to be headed for a contentious split. During the fourth stage of the Tour de France, Ayuso and teammate João Almeida had a conflict: the Portuguese rider was pushing hard at the front, while Ayuso was struggling at the back of the favorites' group. Almeida couldn’t tolerate this. With a wild hand gesture, he urged his young teammate to move to the front of the group.

Read more below the photo.

Almeida (and Pogacar) look to Ayuso in last position

Trouble on the Galibier: A harbinger of misfortune for UAE?

It seems that the incident was the first crack of what has now developed into a major fracture. Ayuso was unable to continue his Tour de France after testing positive for COVID-19 in the second week. However, according to Nils Politt, that withdrawal wasn’t necessarily required. The German rider mentioned in the podcast 'Schlag & Fertig' that a total of four UAE riders contracted COVID-19 during the Tour. According to him, Ayuso was the only one who let it affect him. "He immediately thought in his head that he could no longer perform and dropped out. The others didn’t let it influence them as much. They just kept going."

Of course, it’s disappointing to end your Tour debut in such a way, but a quick pivot was made. Ayuso was listed for the Vuelta a España, where race director Javier Guillén quite literally begged for his participation. He was supposed to form a dangerous trio with Adam Yates and Almeida. However, the atmosphere within the team seems to have deteriorated so much that Almeida and Yates are now preferred over Ayuso. The latter is not taking this lightly: he is reportedly looking for a new team where he can be the clear leader in the grand tours. That won’t be easy, according to the Italian media. Ayuso is under contract with Pogacar's team for several more years, and his buyout clause is said to be one hundred million euros...