"I don't agree with what he said" – Juan Ayuso won't ride for UAE again after Vuelta a Espana fireworks confirms Matxin

Joxean Matxin, the ever-combative architect behind UAE Team Emirates - XRG’s Grand Tour ambitions, has responded directly to Juan Ayuso’s recent comments that described the team as a “dictatorship”, insisting their personal relationship remains intact — while making it clear that he doesn’t share the young Spaniard’s views.

“Our friendship is still there,” Matxin told MARCA on the second rest day of the 2025 Vuelta a Espana. “We were chatting yesterday in the room, like always. My relationship with him hasn’t changed. Obviously, I don’t agree with what he said — but that’s a separate issue.”

Ayuso, who confirmed his departure from UAE Team Emirates - XRG at the end of the season, made headlines last week when he publicly criticised the team's internal management. His words caused a stir, not least because of the timing — mid-race, with UAE deep in a tense battle to dethrone Jonas Vingegaard and win the overall at La Vuelta.

Despite the controversy, Matxin was keen to downplay any suggestion of discord within the camp. “Internally, everything is exactly the same. On the bus, in the day-to-day, in the work — nothing has changed. If he needs to be joked with, we joke. If he needs to be asked to work, we ask. Just look at Los Corrales — Marc Soler helped him win after those comments. That shows the level of professionalism in this team.”

Matxin even injected some humour into the situation, referencing Ayuso’s race calendar to suggest that any “dictatorship” wasn’t particularly strict: “We discussed his calendar during the second rest day of the Tour. Juan wanted to skip altitude training and do his prep in Jávea. We agreed. So as you can see — it’s not such a dictatorship after all,” he smiled.

The team boss confirmed that La Vuelta will be Ayuso’s final appearance in UAE colours. Initially scheduled to ride the Tour of Guangxi, Ayuso has now been excused after meeting performance targets in Spain: “I told him: win a stage, the TTT or the GC — and you’re off the hook. He’s already done two of the three. He’s earned his rest.”

While off-the-bike tensions have captured headlines, UAE remain fully committed to overturning Vingegaard’s 48-second lead over Joao Almeida in the final week of the race.

Having already taken seven stage wins, Matxin made it clear that the team has its sights firmly set on the overall. “If I could trade the stage wins for the red jersey, I’d do it without hesitation,” he said. “But if we lose, it won’t be because we settled for second. It will be because we kept trying until the very end.”

With three key mountain stages and a pivotal time trial still to come, the DS believes the final battle will be fought on multiple fronts — and that UAE must be bold and creative. “We have to try every tactic available to us. Some days the course will do the selection naturally. On others, we’ll need to work as a collective. Each day calls for a different approach.”

João Almeida, the team’s main GC hope following Ayuso’s stage win and Soler’s breakaway exploits, remains central to that plan. But Matxin hinted that the outcome could depend as much on mindset as on legs. “It’s about the will to attack. That belief is already 50% of the battle. Then it comes down to the timing — and the condition of the legs, both his and the team’s.”

UAE’s consistency has been remarkable, but Matxin did reflect on one key moment that may yet prove costly — the stage to Valdezcaray, where the team lost critical time. “Visma rode superbly that day — not because we got it wrong, but because they got it right,” he said. “I’m not someone who looks back and regrets. We analyse it, we move on. All that matters now is what’s ahead.”

He also addressed the situation in La Farrapona, where Marc Soler’s move raised eyebrows as Almeida and Vingegaard battled behind. “That wasn’t the original plan. The idea was to keep Visma out of the break, and following Campenaerts was key. If Joao had dropped Vingegaard, don’t doubt for a second we’d have called Soler back. It’s happened before — in 2011, I had to stop De la Fuente to help Cobo win.”

Soler, once again proving indispensable, continues to play a selfless and tactical role. “He’s a fixture in both the Tour and the Vuelta. Last year I asked him to get in 11 breakaways — he did, and even won in Lagos. He’s fundamental to what we do.”

Matxin also touched on recent protests and roadside incidents that have disrupted parts of the race. “I don’t know all the details, but what I ask is simple: respect. Let the race happen in a fair and sporting way. We saw that on the Angliru — pure racing, maximum respect. That’s all we want, from all sides.”

As the race enters its decisive stretch, Matxin is clear-eyed, combative, and characteristically unflinching. Whether or not UAE can wrestle red from Vingegaard, one thing is certain: they won’t go down without a fight. “Let’s not think about what we didn’t do. Let’s think about what’s still to come. We’re going to fight for this Vuelta until the final day.”