"At no point in this Tour did I feel like the rider I wanted to be" - Juan Ayuso downbeat after failing to race for Tour de France podium
CyclingTuesday, 28 July 2026 at 10:11
Juan Ayuso closed the 2026 Tour de France with mixed feelings. The Lidl-Trek leader finished seventh overall, far from the goal he set on the start line in Barcelona: fighting for the Paris podium. Although the team result was brightened by Lidl-Trek’s victory in the teams classification, the Spaniard did not hide his frustration after fading again as the three weeks wore on, a recurring pattern that continues to fuel doubt about his ability to contest the Grande Boucle.
Across the opening two weeks, Ayuso held firm among the best and established himself as a podium contender. From stage 14 onwards, however, he began to lose ground to the main favourites and eventually slipped behind teammate Mattias Skjelmose, initially earmarked as his domestique for the mountain stages.
Once again, accumulated fatigue pushed him away from the places of honour. The rider himself acknowledged the target was clear from day one. “The dream was to step onto the podium in Paris,” he admitted, while also valuing Lidl-Trek’s collective success. “Being up there with the whole team, especially in Luca Guercilena’s farewell, was very special. You have to enjoy those moments.”
Even so, the Spaniard made it clear the result falls short of his ambitions and he is already planning a different build-up. “I’m really eager to try again every year to reach the podium. I’ve had quite a few setbacks that complicated the whole process. We’ve discussed it with the team and I think next year we’ll approach things slightly differently.”
Juan Ayuso at the 2026 Tour de France
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His self-critique sharpened when he assessed his sensations during the race. Ayuso admitted he never found the level he expected after a brilliant start to the season, highlighted by his win at the Volta ao Algarve before crashing at Paris–Nice. That lack of continuity also showed in the general classification, where he ultimately finished behind teammate Mattias Skjelmose, who began the race as a mountain domestique and ended up ahead of the Spaniard in Paris.
“At no point in this Tour did I feel like the rider I wanted to be, the one I was before the Paris–Nice crash,” he explained. “That’s part of my frustration, because I felt I’d taken a step forward compared to last year and I haven’t managed to show it in the biggest races, which are the ones that really count.”
Despite the disappointment, the Spaniard underlined his mental resilience in a race where he never stopped fighting. “I’m not disappointed because I was always swimming against the tide and I never stopped battling. I always gave my best,” he said.
However, beyond the rider’s own explanations, the Tour again posed a hard-to-ignore question. For the third year running, Ayuso lost competitiveness as the race progressed. His talent, his punch on explosive efforts, and his quality over one week remain beyond doubt, but the Tour de France and its three weeks demand something else: holding top physical and mental form for 21 stages.
At just 23, he still has room to evolve and refine his preparation. In fact, he himself admits he will change his approach for the next edition. But until he can sustain his level across the entire race, the Paris podium will remain more of a goal than a reality. Juan Ayuso’s talent is unquestionable; proving he can keep it intact over the Tour’s three weeks remains his biggest unfinished task.
Javier RampeCycling Journalist
Javier Rampe is a sports analyst with more than 15 years of experience. He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Rome and a Diploma in Business Studies from the University of Cádiz. Despite coming from an academic background not particularly associated with cycling, his passion for both cycling and journalism was instilled in him from an early age. He grew up following Miguel Indurain and José María “El Chava” Jiménez. An admirer of Michael Robinson’s communication style and journalistic approach, he was inspired to pursue a degree in Journalism at the University of Buenos Aires, which he is currently completing.
He has always maintained close ties with the worlds of sport and culture, contributing from a young age to sports blogs and film and music review websites. His work has appeared in media outlets such as Cope, RAI, and Radio Con Vos. He is also the founder of the cycling-focused podcast El Contraanálisis and the football interview channel Días De Fútbol, dedicated to conversations with professional footballers.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Javier has interviewed some of the most influential figures in modern cycling, including Alejandro Valverde and Tadej Pogačar, as well as key voices in anti-doping policy such as Alberto Yelmo, David Varillas, and Marcelo Milano. Marcos Maynar, in relation to the ‘Operación Ílex’ case, is also among the personalities he has interviewed. He enjoys conducting in-depth analysis of the cycling ecosystem and has attended major events such as Strade Bianche, the Vuelta a Andalucía, and Itzulia, as well as numerous national cyclo-cross races.
His background in economics, combined with extensive experience in marketing and corporate communications, drives his continuous study of positioning strategies and ensures that he always keeps his focus on crafting compelling and evocative headlines.
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- Three examples: Remco and MVDP....and last year in week 3 of TdF. He gifted Jonas a win over him.PogiSloFans28-07-2026
- Pogi is just a nice guy. For some cyclists (Del Toro, Remco and MVDP) Santa came early this year. Without Pogi, MVDP would have never won on Montmartre, and we all know it. Van der Poel "owes Pogi one Paris Roubaix"... it's a joke. The media is saying Pogi joined the club of 5X TdF winners. That's true, but he wants to make his own exclusive club of record holders... 6 TdF wins. Who will join him in years to come? I think probably nobody. Pogi is "Last of the Mohicans."PogiSloFans28-07-2026
- pogačar is NOT a gift giver to anyone who doesn’t ride for UAE and HIM, and even then it’s a rare occurrence. del toro and mcnulty are all i can recall within UAE. but to a rider from any other team? give me just ONE example…OCexile28-07-2026
- Further.... his bs diminishes the brilliance of the last stage and what MVDP achieved!slappers6628-07-2026
- As long as Pogicar is the dominant gc rider Ayuso is looking like a top ten rider at best. He might surprise us yet though. I hope so.Cyclingsbestfan28-07-2026
- NO, Pogi needs to retire, Jonas needs to become old or Trine needs to tell him to retireabstractengineer28-07-2026
- He has to give up till Pogi retiresabstractengineer28-07-2026
- How so whknan?Cyclingsbestfan28-07-2026
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- Its called tactics. Why would Log chase every rider if he had 7 mins lead over 2nd place. The author is suggesting that Pog should race like a 4th cat and chase very person that goes up the road. Lets be hones the riders doing the podcast are not exactly top draw pros. I have never even heard of them . Clickbait thoughpaultryan200228-07-2026
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