“Del Toro has worked when he’s had to – something Ayuso hasn’t done”: Joaquim Rodríguez sees positive change in UAE’s internal dynamics

Former cyclist Joaquim “Purito” Rodríguez analysed the start of the season on his Puro Ciclismo Podcast and offered several strong reflections on the current state of the peloton, with particular focus on the phenomenon of Tadej Pogacar, the rise of Isaac del Toro and the difference between him and Juan Ayuso within UAE, along with other topics.

One of the most interesting discussions revolved around life inside UAE and the room Isaac Del Toro may have under the shadow of Tadej Pogacar. Purito did not hesitate to emphasise what the Slovenian represents in modern cycling:

“I told him that I think he’s going to retire at the very top. He’ll retire at the highest level. There will come a moment when he says, I’m not racing anymore and I don’t see anyone.”

Regarding the Mexican rider, Joaquim Rodríguez made clear that he sees enormous ability: “For me, Del Toro is a super rider,” although he acknowledged that the context is not simple: “Even if they give you a parallel calendar, so to speak, you’re always going to be the second leader. At the Tour, because at the Tour it’s him who goes.”

Even so, he drew a distinction with other cases inside the team and praised Del Toro’s attitude: “When Del Toro has had to work, he has worked without any problems – something Ayuso hasn’t done.”

He even opened the door to the idea that the structure could sustain two leaders: “I think it’s not unreasonable for UAE to have two leaders,” although he admitted that, in the long run, personal ambition may shape the direction things take.

Pogacar’s level also came up following a training session that Purito described as extraordinary. After reviewing a ride of more than 130 kilometres, 300 normalised watts and an average of over 41 km/h solo, Purito was blunt: “It’s outrageous – and alone. Alone, completely alone.”

He compared that approach with the methods of his own generation, when training blocks were more structured and recovery between efforts was prioritised: “Before, you would do your training blocks… even between climbs we would ease off to recover as much as possible from the work we had done. This guy doesn’t stop.”

Drawing from his own experience, he recalled that he was never naturally a rider built for endurance: “Even if it may seem strange, I was never a natural endurance rider. I had to work incredibly hard on my base.”

He concluded with a reflection that summarises the sport’s evolution: “What I see now is that people go very fast. All day.”

There was also space to analyse the situation at Visma and around Jonas Vingegaard, touching on crashes, coaching changes and sponsorship rumours. Purito offered two possible interpretations regarding the departure of Vingegaard’s coach:

“Either Vingegaard himself didn’t push too hard to keep him because maybe he didn’t feel comfortable… or there’s extra pressure in that team and the coach himself said he couldn’t handle that pressure.”

In any case, he warned about the unstable environment the structure is currently experiencing and offered a direct reflection: “If you lose a big one like Visma, be careful,” adding that such movements “won’t have a positive effect.”

On a more physiological note, the report that Wout van Aert’s resting heart rate dropped to 34 beats per minute while sleeping reminded Purito of his own numbers as a professional.

“I’ve been at 38 beats per minute – not sleeping, but relaxed,” he explained, although he cautioned that an isolated low reading does not define the average: “34 seems very extreme. But well, one peak at 34… the average will be…”

The Clasica Jaen and Maxim Van Gils’ crash were also discussed. Purito praised the race itself: “It’s a spectacular race they’ve put together there. Brutal.”

Regarding the late save before the finish, he admitted that he would not have recovered in the same situation: “If that happens to me, I’d still be lying there.”

As for the sprint incident, he urged moderation in the judgment of the rider involved: “Disqualifying him, of course… but from there to some of the things we’ve heard these days… we’re riding bicycles. It’s bad luck. Crashes are going to happen.”

He also emphasised how delicate sprint finishes are: “The smallest touch on the handlebars – if someone touches your handlebars, you’re done.”

Finally, he highlighted UAE’s flying start to the season, with several different riders already taking victories: “Six different riders – that’s no joke,” before summarising the collective potential of the squad with a line that captures the moment the team is in: “There are six guys capable of beating anyone in the peloton.”

With Del Toro’s UAE Tour triumph and Pogacar yet to begin his campaign, the internal competition at UAE appears as intense as their dominance on the road.