Juan Ayuso ruled out of the Ardennes classics after hellish month on the bike - Mattias Skjelmose handed the leadership
Cycling
Juan Ayuso started off his time with Lidl-Trek under perfect conditions and with a very promising set of results, but over the past month and a half, his spring has been plagued by injuries and illnesses. Now it might be over as he is forced to skip the Ardennes classics due to it.
The Spaniard spent several years with UAE Team Emirates - XRG and, after a rocky 2025, the two agreed to end their contract - something which was then seized by the now-German team, who was looking to sign new riders into its Grand Tour block. Derek Gee later joined Ayuso as a new team leader.
He began his season at the Volta ao Algarve and couldn't have hoped for a better debut, jumping into the race lead on stage 2, the first summit finish at the Alto da Fóia, and then taking a stage and overall win at the Alto do Malhão to finish the race - beating none other than Paul Seixas who has recently dominated Itzulia Basque Country. However Ayuso, in the yellow jersey, then crashed out of Paris-Nice on stage 4, fruit of a high-speed crash in the wind-affected day that crowned Jonas Vingegaard in the lead. Whilst he avoided fractures, it stopped his momentum, and at the start of Itzulia it was clear the Spaniard was not at his best, finishing only 38th in the initial time trial.
Itzulia withdrawal a sign of what was to come
He would lose time in the following days and abandoned the race with gastrointestinal issues. Tests revealed he was suffering from a viral infection, from which he has not properly recovered, and thus is not ready to return to competition.
Lidl-Trek confirmed this with a statement this morning, informing that the Spaniard would not race the initially scheduled Ardennes classics: "Unfortunately Juan Ayuso will miss the upcoming Ardennes Classics. Medical tests after Itzulia Basque Country showed a recent viral infection and the Spaniard is not yet ready to return to competition. Feel better soon, Juan! We will miss you".
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.
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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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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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