"I've been told that if everything goes well with Pogacar I might have a chance" - Juan Ayuso seeking his own opportunities at debut Tour de France

Juan Ayuso faces his first Tour de France with the belief that he can be a protagonist, able to fight to win a stage, to be able to finish as high as possible in the general classification but, above all, with the very clear idea of UAE Team Emirates' only objective in the Grande Boucle 2024: to win with Tadej Pogacar.

In an interview with the diario AS, he explained what he has been told by the Emirates team: "The objective is clear, which is to win with Pogacar, and to help in that aspect. We have to take it one day at a time. I have also been told that, if everything goes well and Tadej is, quote unquote, calm, I may have a chance," he explains. So, if all goes well, the ideal would be the following for the Valencian: "That the team wins the Tour, dream of a stage victory and, if I can, be there in the general classification".

After dropping out of the Dauphiné due to a crash, he says he feels one hundred percent ready to face his first Tour: "I feel very good. So far everything has gone well, apart from what happened in the Dauphiné. Also just before the Dauphiné I had a slight stomach problem. It was just those two little things. The crash didn't have any major inconvenience other than stopping for four or five days, but apart from that, I've always felt fine. I think I'm in good shape.

Finally, he revealed that the goal after arriving in Nice, if there are no complications, is to go directly to Paris to recognize the route of the time trial of the Olympic Games, where he will represent Spain looking for a medal: "That's what Pascual Momparler told me, so if everything goes well, I won't go home. It would be a good sign".

We will see what happens with Juan Ayuso in his debut. He arrives to a great team with a very clear objective and with men like Adam Yates who are above him in hierarchy even if Tadej Pogacar should fail. In any case, he has a clear objective for the future: "To win it, but well, that's still a long way off".