"He’s very nice for a leader because he really knows what he wants": Carlos Verona praises Juan Ayuso's perfect start at Lidl-Trek

Juan Ayuso is having a great start with his new team, Lidl-Trek. After leaving UAE Team Emirates - XRG, the 23-year-old cyclist won a stage and the overall general classification at the Volta ao Algarve. His next challenge is Paris-Nice, which already started on Sunday, where he hopes to be the first Spanish winner since 2018. His teammate Carlos Verona spoke to Domestique about Ayuso's leadership and the team's big goals.

Even though Ayuso is very young, he already knows how to guide a team. In Portugal, he fought hard against top riders like Paul Seixas and João Almeida, and his team fully supported him. Verona explained why it is so easy to work for him.

“I think he is super young, but he also has quite a lot of experience. He also has a strong character, and he’s very nice for a leader, because at the end, he really knows what he wants,” Verona told Domestique.

Verona also said that a good leader needs to be clear about his needs, and Ayuso does exactly that. “He asks his teammates for what he wants and also the team, and I think that when you are a leader, you need to be like this because at the end of the day, I think it’s good for everyone.”

During the mountain stages at the Volta ao Algarve, Lidl-Trek showed that they were completely dedicated to keeping Ayuso in the yellow jersey. Verona mentioned one stage in particular as a great example of their teamwork.

“For example, the Foia [stage 2], we all knew exactly what we had to do, and then I think you could see on the television that everything went to plan,” said Verona.

He also explained that the team is looking at the big picture and wants to grow together with Ayuso over the next few years.

“We all know this is a long-term project, so we are building for sure, and hopefully we keep making steps in the right way, like here. The important thing is to always keep growing, improving, and hopefully we can see the best version of Juan in our time, in the near future.”

Lidl-Trek is becoming a much stronger team, and Verona was very honest about what the team wants to achieve. They want to be the best, even if it means beating the current top teams.

“I think the goal of the team is clear. We want to be number one,” said Verona. “We will take some time because until now, UAE and [Tadej] Pogačar have been really dominant, but like everything in any sport, nothing is permanent, everything is changing, and everything is challenging.”

To reach this goal, the team has improved everything behind the scenes, not just the riders. “I think the team is really working in the right direction. I think starting from the staff, I think on the management side, we have grown a lot, and we have many more coaches, nutritionists, masseuses, and chefs, and they all make our lives much easier.”

Verona, who has started 17 Grand Tours in his career, believes Lidl-Trek has built a very smart roster. They have experienced veterans to help the talented young riders reach their full potential.

“And at the same time, I think with the riders, we have really strong young riders. I think [Juan] Ayuso is a big leader, but also, for example, here we have Héctor Álvarez from our development team. I think we have a nice mix, because we have some older riders like me, and I think we have a very nice combination of youth and experience that will be important for the future of the team. We will try to be the number one team sooner rather than later,” he concluded.