Another twist in the Juan Ayuso saga! Spanish national coach refutes UAE claims Ayuso was unfit for La Vuelta: "He told me he was perfect"

Juan Ayuso did not go to the 2024 Vuelta a Espana and according to Joxean Matxin, UAE Team Emirates' manager, that was because he was not in the right physical shape after the Tour de France. Was this actually the case though?

Well according to the Spanish national coach, Pascual Momparler, in conversation with Marca, Ayuso was in a more than capable shape and that's exactly why he was taken to the recent Paris Olympic Games. "No, no. Juan Ayuso was perfect. If he came it was because he was perfect. I don't know who he told that he wasn't, but he told me he was perfect. And I don't regret having taken him," the coach explains.

Now of course, Ayuso could have suddenly lost form between the Games and the Vuelta, but it would be surprising if after getting sick at the Tour he arrived in Paris well and then fell off after a day's racing. In any case a Vuelta omission was in turn, good news for the Spanish National Team, which seems to be counting on Ayuso for the upcoming World Championship in Zurich, which is well suited to his characteristics: "From today he is working on having a great World Championship," Momparler reveals. "He is going to Canada. He is testing to do the time trial. Ayuso is one of the riders that, for some time, we have been talking about for him to be in the World Championship".

After seeming discontent within UAE Team Emirates towards Ayuso at the recent Tour de France, where both Joao Almeida and Adam Yates voiced frustrations, we'll see what happens in the coming months. If Pogacar still wants to race 2 Grand Tours a year there is only room for the rest to try to win in the remaining one (for example in the Giro next year if, as it seems, the Slovenian dares to do the Tour-Vuelta double). Right now in the UAE Team Emirates inner rankings, seemingly both Yates and Almeida are ahead of Ayuso in the Grand Tour pecking order.