"I've been much more generous than him" - Javier Romo, pissed off with Ayuso after defeat at Vuelta
Cycling
Stage 12 of the Vuelta a Espana 2025 has once again been very cruel to Movistar Team. The telephone squad is doing an incredible job in the race to fight for victories, but against the powerhouse that is UAE Team Emirates - XRG, it is a difficult task. This Thursday, Javier Romo was defeated at the finish line by Juan Ayuso, who added his second win of the edition.
As the stage reached the final climb of Collada de Brenes, Juan Ayuso received an incredible assist from Marc Soler from the day's large breakaway that had formed. The Spaniard went solo, but Romo has not given up yet and closed the gap to the young star on his own.
Both riders rode together in the lead in the last 25 kilometers of the stage. Everything pointed to a sprint to 2 at the finish, and so it was. Unfortunately, the accumulated fatigue after a great performance took its toll on the Movistar rider, who could not truly challenge Ayuso in the sprint.
Speaking after the stage, Javier Romo threw a dart at Juan Ayuso by considering that he gave many more relays than the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider offered. But at the end of the day, everyone does what they want to do to win a stage.
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"I think I was much more generous than he was. In the end, Ayuso almost didn't want to pass me to the relay. But well, everyone does what he wants. I'm proud of the way I rode, I did it to win," began Javier Romo, clearly annoyed with the attitude of his rival.
Javier Romo came within a hair's breadth of winning stage 12 of the Vuelta a España
Thanks to Movistar Team
Away from the controversy, Romo wanted to focus on thanking Movistar Team. The telephone team rode to perfection, putting as many as five riders in the numerous breakaway of the day. They also tried with Iván García Cortina before the start of the final climb, but in the end it was Javier Romo himself who had the best legs.
"The team rode 10 out of 10 race, from the first to the last, we followed the script we had planned in the bus, I am very happy with the group we have formed," added the Movistar Team rider.
"We understood each other because we arrived [to the line with a shot at a victory], although not as I would have liked, he beat me at the finish. It's been a year of good and bad moments, we have to get through them, keep working and I'm sure everything will come," concluded Javier Romo, second in stage 12 of the Vuelta a Espana.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses 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.
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