Juan Ayuso is impressing so far in his first full season as a professional cyclist, and despite his extremely young age, he is growing as a strong and complete rider within the peloton, already capable of battling with the best under the right circumstances.
“To be learning from and to be close to the best rider in the world is amazing. He’s helping me to become a better rider," Ayuso said in an interview with GCN. Despite being only 19, Ayuso has made his World Tour debut last season as he undergone a mid-season transfer into UAE Team Emirates. Alongside many of the world's best stage-racers, Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar included, Ayuso has talked about his experience and evolution within the team.
“I started when I was seven years old, so I’ve been racing a long time, but I still need to discover myself a bit more. I’m still young and I’ll keep improving. I still don’t know if I’m going to be more of a puncheur, or a climber type. I think I still have to discover this. Only time will tell," he said.
After thriving as a stage-racer as an under-23 rider, he's quickly given hints of being more than that in one of his first races with the team as he finished second at Prueba Villafranca last year. This year however, he's not only backed that up with some strong early-season performances, but has thrived in the recent Volta a Catalunya where he finished fifth in the overall classification.
With Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallone and Tour de Romandie as his next targets, he adds: “I’m happy with my form. It’s the first time I’ve gone to altitude. I went to Sierra Nevada with Rui Costa. I’m on a learning curve, so for sure I need to gain experience to keep learning, but at the same time, we want results now, so if they can go together, then that’s what we want.”
“I think it’s going to be a great season. We’ve planned a great calendar that will help me in my future to keep improving. I just have to enjoy it and get on the road and see where I can perform the best. As every kid, when you grow up you dream of first riding the Tour de France, and now I dream of winning it. For me that’s my biggest goal. There’s still a long way to go, but I hope one day I can achieve it," he concluded. He does not yet have publicly talked about his plans for the late-season, however they are bound to be announced in the coming weeks.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
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.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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