"Happy to have a good feeling" - Juan Ayuso eyes La Vuelta with confidence after 2nd in Getxo

Juan Ayuso crossed the line second at the 80th Circuito de Getxo-Memorial Hermanos Otxoa, just behind UAE Team Emirates – XRG teammate Isaac del Toro, in a confidence-boosting result ahead of the Vuelta a España. The Spanish rider helped shape the finale on the brutally steep Pike climb, where he and Del Toro made their winning move. It was a strong rebound for Ayuso, especially coming off a rough day at the Clásica San Sebastián just 24 hours earlier, where he was dropped early and never found his rhythm. Though a win eluded him, Ayuso looked relieved to be back in the mix.

"Happy to be able to help the team and kick off the race on the Pike, a very tough 2km section with gradients of up to 20 percent," Ayuso told Eurosport, referring to the climb where the pair launched their decisive attack. "And also happy to finish second behind Isaac," he added, showing a bond with his Mexican teammate that hasn’t always been there this summer.

The young Spaniard had originally been expected to take center stage at the Giro d’Italia in May, but a string of crashes, and even a bee sting to the eye, forced him out in the third week. Since then, he’s been rebuilding toward a new goal: leading his home Grand Tour. With Tadej Pogacar sitting out the Vuelta, Ayuso now shares leadership duties with Joao Almeida at UAE.

"Now we have the Vuelta, to be able to return after a rather long break following the crash at the Giro and so on," he said. After a stop-start season, Ayuso is just glad to be back on track after a difficult period. He wrapped up his weekend saying he was "happy to have a good feeling," and made clear his focus: "make it to the Vuelta in good shape."