The Tour de France begins to gain more and more shape, and from Dénia come the news that has been expected since Juan Ayuso's transfer to Lidl-Trek. The Spaniard will make his debut at the Tour de France as the sole leader for the overall classification - and the team's sprinter has also already been selected.
After his departure from UAE Team Emirates - XRG, the 23-year old showed himself quite happy with his new environment at Lidl-Trek. Whilst the news didn't hit teammate Mattias Skjelmose particularly well at first, the American team is certain to be able to combine the schedules of both riders quite and with different Grand Tours in the calendar of both climbers.
The Spaniard had a smile on his face at the American team's media day, and in a room with CyclingUpToDate and several others news outlets, quickly confirmed his early outline for the 2026 season in terms of calendar.
Ayuso will begin his season at the Volta ao Algarve in Portugal on the 19th of February, this after an altitude camp at Monte Teide, Tenerife. He will focus on stage-races throughout the spring, racing Paris-Nice and Itzulia Basque Country. With Skjelmose certain to aim for the Giro, it is very likely that the Dane will alternatively race Tirreno-Adriatico and Volta a Catalunya.
Ayuso and Pedersen lead the way for Lidl-Trek at the Tour
Ayuso will then race the Ardennes classics, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège where he will most likely go head-to-head against Tadej Pogacar - potentially for the first time this upcoming season. He will then take on the traditional preparation towards the Tour, certainly featuring an altitude training camp in May and then the Tour Auverge - Rhône Alpes (the new name for the Criterium du Dauphiné.
At the Tour he will be the team's sole overall classification contender and will join Mads Pedersen, as said by himself. This finally confirms that the Dane will be racing the Grand Boucle after a year of absence and Jonathan Milan - winner of the green jersey in the previous edition - is likely heading to the Giro d'Italia.
A publication with Ayuso's full words to the media will follow...
Update: Mattias Skjelmose will race the Tour de France as well, with the team deciding he will not race the Giro d'Italia as initially planned - but without GC ambitions. More to follow...
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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