"He's definitely not a team player" - Juan Ayuso criticized by UAE teammate Florian Vermeersch
Cycling
It is not often that disagreements and criticism between teammates makes it into the public eye when it comes to World Tour teams. On paper, Florian Vermeersch and Juan Ayuso are not teammates anymore, but the Belgian does not have the best image of the Spaniard and shares a story from this past year that has left him questioning Ayuso's sportsmanship.
UAE and Ayuso was a story that looked to click very well at first, but over the years did not fit together. Once the Spaniard encountered some problems from 2024 onwards, mainly at that year's Tour de France where he didn't seem to want to be at the full disposal of the team's goals and then abandoned ill, things began to go sideways.
He was still given a leadership role at this year's Giro, but a crash derailed his race, and in a team with so much talent he simply did not have room to follow his ambitions. Hence it was natural that a split would occur, with the decision being made this summer and Ayuso joining Lidl-Trek.
The two never actually raced together, showcasing the size of a modern World Tour team and how even teammates may not see each other all year long. But the Belgian never had a good impression of Ayuso and explains why:
We'll miss him less for the team atmosphere
"Ayuso is certainly not my best friend, but I don't know him well either. I did one training camp with him, and he rode twenty meters ahead of the group the whole time," Vermeersch revealed in an interview with Bahamontes. "So he's definitely not a team player".
With Tadej Pogacar, Vermeersch said the complete opposite words: "He's also a super chill guy and an incredible team player. That's how I got to know him right away when we went out with the riders for a few evenings on our own during the first team days in Abu Dhabi last year. He loves to foster a sense of community."
"I hear he's good for his teammates when they're riding for him and everything's going well, but when he's bad himself or when he has to return the favor, like in the Giro, things often go wrong," Vermeersch believes. "We'll definitely miss a few victories without him, because he is and remains a world-class rider. But we'll miss him less for the team atmosphere."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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