Juan Ayuso has had a rather complicated season with UAE Team Emirates due to the internal criticism received within the Emirati squad for his performance and subsequent withdrawal in the last Tour de France. Despite not completing the Grande Boucle, they decided to leave him out of the Vuelta a España, which caused rumors of a possible exit to multiply. However these begin to fade as the team assure their commitment to the Spaniard.
However, we believe it is impossible for the cyclist to leave the team this winter and ride in other colors from 2025 for 3 reasons, in collaboration with CiclismoAlDia.
1. The contract and its clause
So, the first thing that makes it difficult for Ayuso to leave UAE is that the team coached by Mauro Gianetti shielded him when they renewed him last year: a huge salary, a 100 million euro buyout clause and a contract until 2028. This makes it impossible for anyone to buy out his contract; and a departure would depend on a scenario such as that of Cian Uijtdebroeks last winter where he quite BORA - hansgrohe, to then join Visma.
2. Matxín's faith
Joxean Matxín scouted Ayuso the same way he did with Tadej Pogacar and he has just as much affinity for the youngster. Ayuso had a start in the professional cycling world very similar to Pogacar and his talent is undeniable. At the Vuelta a España, the team manager assured CyclingUpToDate that Ayuso is part of the team's 'patrimony' and assures that there is full commitment.
3. The rivals
These two reasons could be enough to secure Ayuso's future in UAE, but let's imagine for a moment that the Valencian rider pushes to leave thinking that he will not be able to lead a Grand Tour in the short term and that Gianetti at some point will leave him out of big races. Even so, we see it as very complicated for Ayuso to leave. They have made it clear that if he wanted to leave he would have to bring a good offer in return. The only WorldTour team that in 2024 can afford to pay a lot of money for someone is Visma, or Red Bull if it gets out of hand, and we don't think UAE would allow one of their great jewels to leave.
Thus, it is almost impossible for Juan Ayuso to leave UAE this year. 2025 could be a different situation but only under specific circumstances. We will have to see what races he races, how the team rides and how he ends up cycling and mentally. For now, he is refocusing on the Canadian classics and the World Championships where he has the chance to write new chapters in his career and leave this one behind.
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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