"By not doing the Vuelta I have had time to focus on the World Championships" - Juan Ayuso keen to make impact in Zurich

The Zurich 2024 World Championships will conclude this Sunday with the elite men's road race, the main event. In it, the Spanish national team will be going all out for the medals. National coach Pascual Momparler announced a lineup, including Juan Ayuso, who is eager to redeem himself after being left out of UAE Team Emirates' team for the Vuelta a Espana.

The UAE Team Emirates rider was not selected to ride his country's grand tour after all the controversy that arose during the Tour de France. However, Ayuso has already turned the page, and is focused on going all out this Sunday, as he says in statements to the Real Federación Española de Ciclismo. "By not doing the Vuelta I have had time to focus on the World Championship and all the races I have done these last few weeks have been in preparation for Zurich," says Ayuso, who took part in the Tour of Luxembourg, where he won the individual time trial and came close to victory in the general classification.

In addition to the full confidence in his physical shape, Ayuso explains that he is very confident in the whole team because the route of this World Championship in Zurich is very favourable for the characteristics of all of them. That is why Spain's lineup is so strong. "I think this World Championship is the one with the course that best suits Spain as a team of the ones we've seen in recent years. It's going to be a luxury to be able to race with these teammates, this World Championship is good for all of us and we're looking forward to it," says the 22-year-old rider.

The most characteristic feature of a race like the Worlds is its 270-kilometre course, something that doesn't scare Juan Ayuso: "It's a new terrain for me. I've done some high-mileage races like the Amstel Gold Race and the Olympic Games, but not too many, so I have to discover myself a little more in a race like this. It will be a very hard and selective race and in the end it will be decided by legs and I hope I can be there," he concludes.