Juan Ayuso looking to learn from Pogacar - "Tadej’s the best and I have no problem saying that"

20-year-old Juan Ayuso has spoken about how he plans to fulfil his potential, saying he believes that being a teammate of 2-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar is something he can use to his advantage.

After finishing 3rd in his first Grand Tour at the 2022 Vuelta a Espana, big things are expected of Ayuso in the future, the UAE Team Emirates rider is keen to temper expectations however. “I still need some work to do." he told a team training camp in Spain this week. "I still know Tadej’s the best and I have no problem saying that. What I have to do is learn from him and then keep improving to try and one day be at the Tour to try to win.”

Learning from his superstar teammate is something Ayuso is very keen to do. “What Tadej did is incredible now that the podium and then he went to the Tour, and he won it and then he went to the Tour and won it again,” he said. “Tadej wants to go to the Tour again to win, which is, of course, completely normal. And he asked to do it, and I think he can. For me, I think the most logical step is if I did third is why not try and win La Vuelta before going to the Tour?"

Winning a Grand Tour is something the ambitious Ayuso desperately hopes to achieve in his career. “I’m a very ambitious rider and I want to try and win the Tour," the young Spaniard says. “When I started seeing cycling it was Contador trying to win the Tour, so for me, the Tour is this one race I want to win."