Juan Ayuso laments disaster end to Tour de France: "Everything has taken a turn"

This morning, Juan Ayuso was forced to abandon the Tour de France due to illness. The UAE Team Emirates rider tested positive for COVID-19, but despite this he decided to try to ride out with his teammates and complete the stage. However, the situation did not improve and the Spanish cyclist had to withdraw after a challenging day.

The young cyclist explained his personal situation in a statement following the abandonment. "I'm a little disappointed, as it can't be otherwise. I had been struggling for a few days and yesterday I finished the stage very badly, it cost me a lot, we did the COVID test and it came out positive. And today we decided to see if I could spend the day, but well, leaving as it has left and finding myself so bad, we had to withdraw," said Ayuso.

Today's stage, which started with a furious pace from Agen, proved to be too much for Ayuso, who, struggling with COVID-19 symptoms, finally decided to take a step back.

Despite this setback, Ayuso is already thinking about her next goals, especially the Paris Olympics. "We are evaluating everything and seeing what to do. The Olympic Games are just around the corner and we are going to try. I'm going to be a few weeks without touching the bike, but I'll try to get to the Games and see what I can do," said the cyclist.

On his participation in the Vuelta a España, Ayuso was more reserved. "We haven't talked about that yet. I don't know, I mean, I can't say yes or no, because I really don't know. As I said, I will be a few weeks without riding the bike and then, well, where I have my head is trying to get to the Games. I have to talk to Momparler (the national coach, ed.), I don't know if the time trial is still viable, I don't think so, but I think I can be at a good level for the road".

Ayuso's departure from the Tour de France brings to an end a participation that had started with promise but turned complicated. "It's been weird. It started off pretty well and then everything has taken a turn. It has been difficult. And well, I can only say that I wish my teammates the best of luck. They come in very hard stages and I'll be just another fan watching on TV cheering them on," he concluded.

With his sights set on recovery and future challenges, Juan Ayuso is preparing to face whatever comes his way, hoping to recover in time to represent Spain at the Olympic Games and, perhaps, compete in the Vuelta again.