Juan Ayuso heads into Volta a Catalunya finale ready for battle with Roglic: “Now the goal is tomorrow, and I hope to keep this jersey"
Cycling
Juan Ayuso is just one stage away from securing overall
victory at the 2025 Volta a Catalunya, but Primoz Roglic is only one second
behind. The final day promises tension, tactics, and potential heartbreak, with
Ayuso clinging to a slender lead after a dramatic and disrupted queen stage on
Saturday.
What was meant to be the decisive mountain stage turned into
a tactical stalemate after extreme wind conditions forced organisers to cut the
route short and remove all major climbs. The revised 146-kilometre course
lacked the elevation expected to create significant gaps, and as a result, the
expected fireworks never materialised between the GC contenders.
"It was a super confusing day," Ayuso told Cyclism’Actu
after the stage. "I think the organizers did a really good job adapting to
the situation, because initially the finish was supposed to be at the top. In
the end, they managed to get everything back down, including the spectators.
They really managed to organize it very quickly."
Despite the logistical success, the day was far from
straightforward for the riders. “They made the best decision by neutralizing a
lap to make sure the circuit was safe before restarting the race. But halfway
through, some riders started saying they just wanted to restart the race
immediately. In the end, that's the decision that was made.”
The 21-year-old added that the chaos came not from conflict,
but communication. “There was no disagreement, just confusion. When you talk to
one person, then have to repeat the same thing to another, and suddenly
everything changes, you have to repeat and adapt again. With so many people
involved, it's always complicated to be on the same page and keep everyone well
informed.”
Now all eyes turn to the final stage, with Ayuso aiming to
keep the jersey against one of the most experienced and successful stage racers
of the last decade. Roglic, the 2023 Giro d’Italia and 2024 Vuelta a Espana
champion, is known for his ability to time attacks to perfection, and with
just one second separating the two, any bonus seconds could prove decisive.
Ayuso remains focused: “Now the goal is tomorrow, and I hope
to keep this jersey.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment