Juan Ayuso: "Fighting the uncertainty of thinking that I might not get back on the bike was extremely difficult"

Cycling
Saturday, 04 November 2023 at 11:00
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Juan Ayuso has not had an easy 2023. After his breakthrough in the Vuelta a España 2022, it took him months to make his debut in the season that has just concluded. He gives his impressions of it in an interview from the folks at Relevo.

The UAE Team Emirates rider admits to continuing to experience pain from time to time, although he seems to have the injury under control after a difficult start to the season in which he even had thoughts of retirement.

PLAIN

"Obviously, it is still worrying because it is something that is the nerve, that you do not know when it is going to come, when it is not going to come and if it comes, if it is going to stay or if it is going to leave at the moment.... So, something that keeps bothering a little bit behind the ear. But, for now and after I went back to competing, I haven't had any moment where the pain was so that I had to stop again. I hope I can keep it up."

NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

"The problem with my injury was the mental aspect more than the injury itself. Because, let's see, the pain allowed me to continue living a normal life, apart from being able to ride a bike, which is not as serious as other misfortunes that have happened in cycling. But the problem was the uncertainty of saying that "maybe I can't get back on the bike because of this nonsense". A little foolishness, let's call it that. So, fighting that uncertainty was extremely difficult."

RETURN TO COMPETITION

"It was what I asked for, but also what I had already discussed with the team when I made the podium in La Vuelta in 2022. We already agreed that in 2023 I would ride La Vuelta again to try to improve, but that already in 2024 I was going to try in the Tour. Although I've had the injury, everything has gone a little bit on track and it's a little bit what we had closed for a long time."

2024

Eventually he recovered in time to race the Vuelta a Espana at the highest level, after succeeding at the Tour de Romandie and Tour de Suisse. He rode to fourth in Spain, the best of the rest outside of the Jumbo-Visma riders.

"I think I was at least able to turn the situation around. To finish the year similar to last year, which is the important thing and what I'm left with after everything that happened," he concludes. "Let's hope that next season I can have a year without any inconvenience, without any problems and that my results are what I can achieve. I only ask that my results are not altered by these misfortunes".

Article written by Juan Larra.

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