The Jewel of the Vuelta is Juan Ayuso
Sergi López-Egea
The young Emirati Alicante rider, Juan Ayuso, has stated that his ambition for the next season is to compete at the highest level in cycling. He eyes the Tour de France as the stage where he can align with the sport’s greatest moments, alongside Tadej Pogacar, a double winner who already defined the era in 2020 and 2021.
The rider from Xàbia is just 21 years old and is considered one of Spain’s most promising talents. Despite his youth, he finished third at the Vuelta a España in 2022 and earned a prominent place in the 2023 Tour of Switzerland. In many of last year’s events, he wore the best young rider jersey, underscoring his early maturity and readiness to compete against seasoned professionals.
The Jumbo-Visma squad dominated this season, Ayuso acknowledges, praising the team’s performance and consistency. In a Madrid season-opening press conference, he reflected on the conclusion of the race campaign and looked ahead to the new season, noting that being among the favorites is essential for big-stage victories. He remains focused and pragmatic about the path ahead.
Ayuso had just returned from a team trip to Dubai when he spoke about the Tour being his first major objective. He plans to share the experience with Pogacar during the grand tour and recognize that Pogacar is currently leading the peloton. Yet Ayuso also highlighted the strategic value of focusing on selective moments to seize opportunities rather than chasing every breakaway. The goal is to maximize potential when it matters most, as he has observed in the Vuelta where a few riders could dictate the pace and narrative of the race.
Juan Ayuso showcases his professional record for the first time
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The 2024 calendar places Olympic Games in Paris and the Zurich World Cup at the center of the season. Ayuso expressed a clear desire to compete in both events, noting that reaching the Games in peak form would be ideal for his chances. He explained that while it would be wonderful to participate in both, it would be challenging to balance everything and that his priority remains performing at a high level for his team and coaches. An Olympic appearance would be a milestone, and the World Cup would offer another opportunity to test his readiness on the world stage. Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel echoed a similar sentiment about peaking for major events, reinforcing the importance of timing and preparation for a successful season.
The world champion wore the rainbow jersey during qualifying and road tests in Madrid. Veteran rider Luis León Sánchez, approaching his 40th birthday on November 24, marked a long career since his debut with Liberty Sanitas in 2004. Van der Poel claimed victory in the second lap of the 20-lap circuit around Gran Vía, finishing well ahead of Ayuso, who had pressed hard in the closing moments but could not overtake the Dutch star. The race highlighted the gap between a current world champion and a rapidly rising young talent, yet it also underscored Ayuso’s potential to close that gap with continued growth and targeted experience on the world stage.