Juan Ayuso denies talk of his exit from the Vuelta a Espana, instead assuming a supporting role for Joaquim Almeida in the most recent mountain stage.
In the ongoing Vuelta a España, Juan Ayuso, the young Spanish cyclist, has expressed his determination to continue participating in the race and future cycling events. Amidst the background turmoil surrounding his departure from UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Ayuso has maintained a positive outlook for the upcoming stages and the races in 2026.
The ongoing tension regarding Ayuso's departure from UAE Team Emirates-XRG has been a topic of discussion for the past two months. However, Ayuso has denied any consideration of quitting the Vuelta and has expressed a willingness to focus more on the race now that the news about his leaving the team has been confirmed.
Ayuso's performance in the race so far has been mixed. He finished stage 10 in 87th place, more than 13 minutes down. However, he has provided valuable support to his teammate João Almeida during the race, and even did a medium-sized turn at the bottom of the climb, helping teammate Mikkel Bjerg.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG, led by Ayuso, won their fourth stage of the Vuelta a España, their second with Jay Vine. The team's victory came as a morale booster for Ayuso, who expressed a desire to be part of a victorious Vuelta team with Almeida.
Despite his strong performance in the team time trial on stage 5, where Ayuso came within eight seconds of the leader's jersey, he shed nearly eight minutes on top race favorite Jonas Vingegaard on the following day at Andorra, ending any chance of an overall bid.
Ayuso has expressed his relief that the turmoil is over and has expressed optimism about his future in cycling, looking forward to a new chapter in his life. However, his 2026 team remains unknown, as he will not represent any team yet confirmed for the Vuelta a España; he is leaving UAE Team Emirates at the end of 2025, and his next team remains unclear. Rumors link him to Lidl-Trek, Ineos Grenadiers, and Movistar, but no official confirmation has been made.
In a surprising turn of events, Ayuso has criticized his team management before stage 10 of the Vuelta a España. The criticism was about an unwritten agreement regarding Ayuso's contract. UAE Team Emirates-XRG management has denied Ayuso's claims.
Ayuso also expressed his disappointment at missing the celebration of Tadej Pogačar's third Tour de France win in 2024 due to the ongoing turmoil. Despite the challenges, Ayuso remains committed to the Vuelta a España and looks forward to the upcoming stages of the race.
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