Juan Ayuso plays down importance of Tirreno-Adriatico: "I wouldn't call Tirreno-Adriatico a test for the Giro”

There’s no doubt about it, 2025 is a crucial year for Juan Ayuso. One of the most exciting young talents in the peloton, the UAE Team Emirates – XRG rider endured a challenging 2024 season but has started the new year in strong fashion as he builds towards his main goal of the Giro d’Italia in May.

This week, Ayuso takes on Tirreno-Adriatico, one of his key early-season targets, and ahead of the race, he spoke to Wielerflits about his ambitions.

"Tirreno-Adriatico is a big goal for me, since the beginning of the season," he explains. "I went to altitude specifically for that and I was able to train well. I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to win Tirreno, but it’s always difficult. It remains a WorldTour stage race where the level will be high, but the goal is definitely to take the overall victory."

Although Tirreno-Adriatico is an important race, Ayuso does not see it as a direct test for the Giro. Instead, he believes that will come later in the Volta a Catalunya, where he will face riders such as Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic, two of the strongest general classification riders in the world.

"I wouldn't call Tirreno-Adriatico a test for the Giro," he says. "It's a good preparation race, that's for sure. In the Tour of Catalonia I'll be racing against riders like Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič. That's a good test to see where I stand for the Giro."

"They are really among the best riders in the world. I love racing against them. That's where you learn the most and in those races you can make the biggest steps. And if you can beat guys like Vingegaard and Roglič, those are victories that count for a lot. I'm really looking forward to that."

The young Spaniard is confident that his hard work over the winter has helped him improve, but he remains aware that race performance is the true measure of progress.

"In training I really feel like I’ve made a lot of progress, but in competitions it’s always different. But I feel like I’ve really gotten better this winter."

With the Giro d’Italia on the horizon, Ayuso remains focused on gradual improvement, understanding that winning a Grand Tour requires patience and consistency.

"You always dream of winning the final. That is a dream, but I want to take it step by step. I want to see how far I can get. That is the best possible result, but we have to take it day by day in the Giro."