"First time in my career and kicking off my season" - Juan Ayuso excited for return to racing on home soil at the Vuelta a Andalucia

As more and more big-name riders begin their 2024 campaigns, UAE Team Emirates' Juan Ayuso is gearing up for a first appearance of the season at the Vuelta a Andalucia.

“I’m really exciting to be racing the Vuelta Andalucia for the first time in my career and kicking off my season," says the 21-year-old Spaniard in a preview conversation with the UAE Team Emirates' official website. "It’s always a pleasure to race in Spain and it gives a bit of extra motivation."

Leading a strong UAE Team Emirates lineup that also includes the likes of Rafal Majka, Tim Wellens and Marc Soler among others, the motivation within the team will be extra strong given the fact that Tadej Pogacar took home overall victory from the race twelve months ago.

"We have a really strong and experienced team for the race," Ayuso says optimistically. "We’re going in as defending champions too from last year so we’ll be going in with the aim to defend that title.”

The racing gets underway on the 14th of February with five stages set to determine who will follow in the footsteps of the superstar Slovenian.