Joxean Matxín closes the Juan Ayuso "case": "With 21 years you want a leadership role, but you adapt because Pogacar is the best in the world"

Joxean Matxin was asked about Juan Ayuso once again at the Vuelta a España, and it's safe to say that it's case closed for the Spaniard, as the team now move on and focus on his next objectives whilst focusing on Adam Yates in the overall classification.

In words to Relevo, He has made it clear that nothing extraordinary happened in the last Tour de France beyond the normal tensions within a big race and that he will remain with the Emirati squad for sure in 2025 beyond all the rumors that have surfaced in recent weeks.

He makes it clear that there is nothing wrong with him within the team: "What happens is that if you take everything you hear out there, of course.... They are comments, and they have to be seen as just that, comments. It's like if I tell you that I like sparkling water better than still water. That's just an opinion, nothing more".

He also relativizes Almeida's gesture and Yates' statements about the Galibier climb in which the Valencian went back when the team was pulling for Pogacar: "Well, they are circumstances of each moment. When you finish the stage and you have a role in which you consider that, of course there are times when at 200 beats (heartbeat, ed.) you can say something like that, like Almeida made that gesture that day."

On Juan's desire to win, Joxean puts it very normally: "As in life in general. When you are 21 years old, as is the case of Juan Ayuso, you would like to have a better role, possibly a leading role, but obviously you accept that Tadej Pogacar is the best in the world and you adapt to that".

When Spanish coach Pascual Momparler declared a few days ago that Ayuso was fit for the Games, there were doubts about the theory that Ayuso was not going to the Vuelta because he was not physically fit. Matxín wanted to clarify this by making it clear that it was Ayuso himself who called him after the Games to tell him that he was not feeling well enough to face a three-week Tour:

"Yes, I had lunch with him recently. I have a personal and professional friendship with Juan. He knows that I appreciate him, love him, respect him and value him a lot, just as he knows that, although he retired from the Tour due to an exceptional circumstance, he is 21 years old and bringing him to La Vuelta, to double in two Grand Tours, was not the best of ideas. That's why he was the first reserve. For that reason and also out of respect for my teammates who were already working and preparing to be here. In the end, he called me after the Games and told me, 'Matxo, I'm not even ready to be the first reserve', that is, I'm not here, I don't feel like it. In fact, he couldn't finish the test after the Games".

He doesn't think he will leave: "He has a contract until 2028 and there is a very good feeling, a very very very good feeling. I'm serious".