Juan Ayuso is one of the riders with the most potential in the current peloton, and today UAE Team Emirates have announced his renewal with the team with a record-breaking duration of an extra six seasons as he inks until 2028.
The team has announced a large round of renewals over the last few days, which have included the likes of Matteo Trentin, Mikkel Bjerg, Brandon McNulty and Rafal Majka on one and two-year deals. However, thinking long-term, the team have taken no time to secure one of it's brightest jewels for the years to come, as 19-year old has renewed his contract all the way into 2028 - longer than any other rider in the peloton.
Ayuso was part of a mid-season transfer in 2021 at the age of 18, after taking a dominant win at the under-23 Giro d'Italia and several other Italian races. He quickly impressed with the team, and this season he has already delivered strong results in the form of Top5's at the Volta a Catalunya and Tour de Romandie, aswell as strong results in several other classics and his first pro win at the recent Circuito de Getxo.
A Grand Tour debut is possible at the Vuelta a Espana, however unlikely. Ayuso has shown the legs to be competitive in the hilly World Tour races however, and will likely be targeting those in the finale of the season. Similar to him, UAE have also taken Tadej Pogacar's contract until 2027 and João Almeida until 2026, making for the main block of riders that they are likely to focus on the most for the coming years in the Grand Tours.
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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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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
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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- So far, a good series about riders before my time, even if the text feels AI generated like so much on this site. About the rider, he seems like one of many who are active fan favorites but don’t survive in the stories of cycling, a few decades later - I didn’t really know anything about him and this was a good read, thank you!RidesHills15-11-2026
- A calm, honest documentary, a bit of hagiography but mostly not too much. When he talks about a coffee shop, it aligns with several things in his world - he might want calm, but he does (more than a little bit) have someone near him (his fiancee) who makes sure that things happen the way he expects. Many atheletes have retired only to find out just how much others were taking care of their lives for them. If they work out (I'm old, things happen), I am sure it will take a renegotiation, which is a good thing. I truly enjoyed watching it, seeing him, seeing her, seeing the whole system built around him.RidesHills15-11-2026
- You do? My mother grew up around Bleiburg (Pliberk), across the border in Austria . My grandparents lived close to the train station in Bleiburg, and I spent a lot of the 70s and 80s there. The "Jugo" train of my youth went to Dravograd or Maribor, exotic places (behind the wall) at the time. What a moment that was, the 10 days war of '91 - times sure have changed.RidesHills15-11-2026
- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
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✒️2028🖋 We’re pleased to announce the contract extension of @juann_ayuso who has renewed his existing deal to stay at the team until the end of 2028. 📝> uaeteamemirates.com/juan-ayuso-com… #UAETeamEmirates #WeAreUAE
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