#LaVuelta23 Pre-match smiles from @juann_ayuso 😁. #WeAreUAE
Juan Ayuso was the first rider expected to respond to any Jumbo-Visma attacks on the summit finish of stage 16 at the Vuelta a Espana. When Jonas Vingegaard did attack though, it was curiously Ayuso's teammate Finn Fisher-Black who followed.
"It was a crazy day. Chapeau to Jumbo, they put an impressive pace all day," the Spaniard said in his post-stage interview with the Vuelta a Espana's official website. "It was a short but very intense stage. And the final climb was just brutal, a bit short but super steep."
The tactics of not just UAE Team Emirates but any of Jumbo-Visma's remaining rivals for the podium were questionable though as the Red Jersey group slowed allowing Vingegaard to ride clear to the stage win.
"I have to discuss with the team because I don’t really know what went on with the tactics but I don’t want to say much," concludes Ayuso. "I felt quite well. It’s always a bit weird when you come from a rest day but I think generally it’s ok and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I think it’s gonna be a special day. I think the GC guys are gonna go for the victory so I hope tomorrow can be my day and I can lift my hands."
#LaVuelta23 Pre-match smiles from @juann_ayuso 😁. #WeAreUAE