"He is a very nice boy to work with": Juan Ayuso finds a fresh start at Lidl-Trek and draws comparisons to Alberto Contador

A change of scenery can make all the difference for a professional cyclist. After a highly publicized and turbulent exit from UAE Team Emirates, Spanish climbing sensation Juan Ayuso has quickly found his footing as the new leader of Lidl-Trek. Kicking off his season with an impressive showing at the Volta ao Algarve, where he beat French talent Paul Seixas and former teammate João Almeida, the 23-year-old is already looking like a serious contender for Paris-Nice.

During his final year at UAE Team Emirates, Ayuso often raced as somewhat of a "loner" within the top-ranked squad, leading to friction with several people inside the team. However, Lidl-Trek sports director Steven de Jongh has experienced a completely different side of the young rider since he joined the squad.

"Juan is a very friendly boy," De Jongh told WielerFlits when asked about their collaboration. "I actually had a very different picture of him when he rode for UAE Emirates, because he was portrayed quite negatively there, so to speak. But no, so far the collaboration is good. He is a very nice boy to work with. He is very grateful for everything we do and he is very impressed by the way we work, so that is beautiful."

When asked what Ayuso had not expected at his new team, the Dutch sports director pointed to the environment they have created for him. "He was mostly just happy with all the support we give," De Jongh added.

Is this strong start driven by a desire to prove his former team wrong? "I would not speak of feelings of revenge. I think he is a winner and he really wants to win," De Jongh noted.

Years ago, Steven de Jongh was the personal sports director for Alberto Contador during the Tinkoff-Saxo era, and the two later moved to Trek-Segafredo together. Now, guiding Spain's newest Grand Tour hope, De Jongh sees clear parallels. "I do see similarities yes, also between him and Contador, that's for sure," De Jongh confirmed.

However, they are still fine-tuning their approach. "We are tied to each other for a while now, so we are going to get to know each other now. For example, in the Algarve we did a time trial for the first time and he has certain insights... Some other riders do that a bit differently, but it is always good to pick up on those things. So it is good that we are here as a learning period," the sports director explained.

One major similarity De Jongh notices is Ayuso's sharp tactical mind when preparing for mountain stages. "Like the battle plan for the Alto da Fóia. The boys saw the final climb in the recon and after that Juan immediately knew how to switch gears like: 'Okay, this, this, this... I would like to do this and the dream scenario is this.' He just already had a plan ready and expressed it. I always find that beautiful and it is also pleasant to work with. That also gives confidence to your teammates of course."

For the 23-year-old Ayuso, the new partnership with the Dutch sports director is going "super good," as he told Wielerflits. Their connection started well before the first race. "The beautiful thing is that we also live very close to each other in Andorra, so very early in the season we had our first meetings and conversations about how we wanted to tackle the season," Ayuso revealed.

This off-bike preparation translated perfectly to the race course. "The Volta ao Algarve was my first race with him and so far I am super happy," the Spanish rider continued.

"The communication and the feeling between the two of us works really well. The time trial in the Algarve was one of the best examples for me of how they guided me over the course: how well they spoke to me over the radio and how they conveyed all the information I needed. I hope it stays that way and for now I am really very happy."

This coming week at Paris-Nice, Ayuso will face another major test against top competitors like Jonas Vingegaard, Carlos Rodriguez and Oscar Onley. He will have to tackle the race without his teammate Mattias Skjelmose, who was scheduled to participate but has been sidelined with a wrist injury.

Ultimately, these early races are crucial stepping stones for the summer, when Ayuso will lead Lidl-Trek at the Tour de France. "In the Algarve we could test the time trial and the equipment, look uphill at how everything works together with the team, what he likes, what he prefers not to have, and you name it..." De Jongh summarized. As for the immediate goal in France: "In Paris-Nice we naturally hope that he rides a good general classification."