Juan Ayuso has started the 2025 season on fire with 2 wins in the 3 races he has competed so far. The Valencian, after a complicated 2024 due to what happened to him in the Tour de France, has prepared better than ever during the winter and has the maglia rosa at the Giro d'Italia in his sights.
The UAE rider, in an interview in the AS newspaper, says he is pushing the best watts of his career and despite this, he thinks he still has room for improvement.
"I've never been better. I'm at my best, but that doesn't mean I think I'm at my peak of form. The leap I've made this winter has been the biggest, by far, of all the ones I've made in the pros. I think I still have a margin, and this was my most relaxed winter.
He explains why he thinks he can still improve and that the goal, of course, is to get even better for the Giro.
"Normally, I start doing intensity training in December and this year I didn't do it until January. It is the year in which I postponed a little later to the form and yet it is the year that I have reached it faster.
"We'll see, because nobody knows, but I think I can still improve for the Giro, but yes, I feel better than when I arrived last year at the Tour and at any race".
He explains what they believe are the keys to his improvement. "It was an accumulation of things. I changed my training a lot, the year I changed the most. I also think it was simply my evolution.
"This year I'll be 23 and the logical thing, and what you expect, is that the body continues to evolve and improve. The jump this year instead of one step has been three or four. It's because I'm maturing and because of a lot of changes in my preparation.
The shadow of Tadej Pogacar
Something that has been going around with Ayuso in recent times is whether he is a potential grand tour winner or more of a classicist. He, using his teammate Pogacar as an example, makes it clear what kind of cyclist he wants to be.
"We're all trying to follow in Pogacar's wake, although that's impossible. I hope to be more of a grand tour rider who can finish in the classics and not the other way around. In the Grand Tours I always felt better, except for last year when I got sick, which was a bit of an exception.
"I'm a rider who gets better as the days go by, although in the classics I can do well, and in stage races I would try to improve what I'm doing in the classics."
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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