"He was the strongest rider today, hats off to him" - Juan Ayuso concedes defeat to Primoz Roglic at Volta a Catalunya 2025

Juan Ayuso was left disappointed on the final stage of the 2025 Volta a Catalunya by "letting" his main GC rival Primoz Roglic get away on a climb, among other things, due to a tactical error.

After losing the final stage and the overall classification, the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader explained what happened: "I didn't have the best legs, but the team helped me from the beginning. First, we lost the first intermediate sprint, but then we won the next one, so I was still in the lead. Then Red Bull had to play offensively. With three laps to go, I made contact with another rider and lost many positions. Red Bull saw that and pushed hard, I managed to get back to Roglic’s level, but then he attacked, took the gap, and won. He was the strongest rider today, hats off to him," began the Spaniard's assessment.

He also acknowledged that he learned a lot from the experience, admitting a major mistake that could have cost him the overall victory in the Volta: "I could imagine it, the circuit is very fast, I didn’t know if it would be on the third or second lap from the finish, but not on the last lap. That’s the way it is, it’s fine. I’ve learned a lot, and for next time, I know I can’t let another rider get to my wheel, I have to be right behind him. Egan Bernal moved out 20 meters from the top, and I couldn’t close that gap. If I had been on his wheel, maybe I could have stayed there, but as I said, he was the strongest, hats off to him."

Ayuso and Roglic will soon renew rivalries again, this time over three weeks. The pair will lead their respective teams at the upcoming Giro d'Italia and start as the two big pre-race favourites.