Juan Ayuso admits pressure at debut Grand Tour: "I know there’s a big pressure, especially from Spanish people"
Cycling
Juan Ayuso is set to make his Grand Tour debut today at the Vuelta a Espana, one of Spain's highest hopes, who will be racing for UAE Team Emirates with no defined role according to the hints given in the days leading up to the start.
“Actually, I didn’t know that fact so now I have something to tell my grandmother," Ayuso joked. "I know I’m the youngest in the race and that helps me to just enjoy it," he said in a press conference in Utrecht leading up to the start of the Vuelta. Ayuso is one of the youngest riders to compete in a modern Grand Tour, a selection that comes as a surprise, and will see him likely perform in the mountains.
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“I know there’s a big pressure, especially from Spanish people," he reveals. "I think I’m lucky my first grand tour is my home country. So really, I just want to learn and get prepared for the upcoming years.”.
After being touted as one of the most talented upcoming stage-racers - dominating the under-23 Giro at 18 years of age in 2021, Ayuso has quickly stepped up to pro level. This year he's finished on the Top5 of the Volta a Catalunya and the Tour de Romandie, and has recently taken his first pro win at the Circuito de Getxo.
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“No, I know there’s pressure but I know how to handle it. For me, it’s not a problem," he concluded. At 19 years of age and on his first Grand Tour it is surprising that the Spaniard is going into the race with pressure, and has not been asked regarding his role in the team.
During the Volta a Catalunya this year he did not work for João Almeida in the stage that ended up deciding the race's GC outcome where his teammate lost the lead, leading to doubts over his commitment to the Portuguese rider's ambitions here at the Vuelta.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- A great route aswell. Col D'Arcy is a toughie
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - Let Torito have a shot at it
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horrible
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - I remember when Mark went through that. He was really experiencing lows and thought about quiting many times. It took him a long time to recover. I, like many others were overjoyed when he came back. I hope Lafay has been tested. I wish him the best.Paggss03-11-2026
- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
- Good Point, I wonder if he's been testedmhfrvz03-11-2026
- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
- I hope 2027 is his year.mij03-11-2026
- why does he have to? many GT riders from Froome to Contador to Indurain didn't do them.mij03-11-2026
- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
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