"It would have been foolish to waste my strength further" - Juan Ayuso tests Jumbo-Visma at Port de Larrau but doesn't find weak spot

UAE Team Emirates was the only team trying to open up the GC fight on stage 14 of the Vuelta a Espana early on, Juan Ayuso showed good legs and attacked the distant Port de Larrau, but all three Jumbo-Visma riders responded promptly.

"The classification riders did not attack each other in the final. Nevertheless, the stage was very difficult, especially on the climb to Larrau," Ayuso said in an interview with EsCiclismo. "There I tried to control the stage with the team for the stage win. I tried, but I quickly lost motivation because it was such a long way. Moreover, I had no more teammates. It would have been foolish to waste my strength further. In the end everyone saved their strength; it wasn't a hard climb."

UAE first tried to control the breakaway, and then have riders jump across to it. The intentions were clear, the Spaniard wished to attack the second climb of the day. On the first two ascents Domen Novak and Finn Fisher-Black set a high pace, and with 52 kilometers to go Ayuso tried twice. Only a few riders could follow on the very hard ascent, but that included the three Jumbo-Visma riders. With no collaboration, Ayuso did not continue the pacing at the front.

Hence a stalemate ensured. The stage win was taken by Remco Evenepoel, and the 20-year old sums up the final day of racing in the Pyrenees, positive over the coming mountain stages: "Remco was so far ahead and it was impossible to unload the entire Jumbo-Visma. The leaders of Jumbo-Visma still show weakness. The truth is that I'm starting to feel better and better."