There has been talk for a long time about the possible departure of Juan Ayuso from UAE Team Emirates - XRG. Everything since the bad feeling with some teammates at the Tour de France 2024. Things escalated after his withdrawal from the last Giro d'Italia, although his inclusion in the team for the Vuelta a España had calmed things down. Now, however, hours before the Spanish Grand Tour starts in Turin, the rumor of his possible departure in the cycling market reappears.
Specifically, it was Ciro Scognamiglio, the specialist in 'mercato' of the Gazzetta dello Sport, who has assured that the departure of the Valencian at the end of the current season "is not impossible" and also gives the name of the squad to which he could leave (we already warned that it is not Movistar Team, which we imagine will not have the economic muscle for an operation of this magnitude even if the cyclist is definitely available on the market):
"An update on Juan Ayuso: sources told us that a transfer from UAE at the end of 2025 is "not impossible" despite his contract. And IF the transfer materializes, Lidl-Trek can be considered a very solid option for the Spaniard. More information on our website."
We'll see how this rumor of Ayuso's possible departure affects a UAE team that was burying arms between the Spanish cyclist and Joao Almeida just before both are the leaders of the UAE squad in the Vuelta a España. We'll see what Matxín and company have to say when they are asked again before such an important race (for the umpteenth time in recent months) about their possible exit.
Info @Gazzetta_it - An update about Juan Ayuso: sources told us that a move from Uae at the end of 2025 is "non impossible" despite his contract. And IF the move happens, Lidl-Trek can ben considered a very solid option for the spanish. More on our website
— Ciro Scognamiglio (@cirogazzetta) August 21, 2025
The keys to the possible transfer
In his article in the Gazzetta Ciro Scomiglio gives the keys to the possible transfer of Juan Ayuso to Lidl-Trek as of 2026:
- Changing teams before the end of the contract used to be a very rare thing in cycling, but it is happening more and more (recent cases: Primoz Roglic to Red Bull in 2023 and Remco Evenepoel to Red Bull despite his contract with Soudal - Quick-Step until 2026).
- Juan Ayuso has a contract with UAE until 2028, but it is not certain that he will remain until that date.
- Ayuso, 22, has great talent: he was 3rd in the Vuelta 2022 and 4th in 2023, won Tirreno-Adriatico 2025, but has not repeated that level in recent Grand Tours (he withdrew from the Tour 2024 and Giro 2025, where his teammate Del Toro excelled).
- In UAE, Ayuso appears to have limited space in company of stars such as Pogacar, Almeida and Del Toro.
- Officially, Ayuso is focusing on the Vuelta 2025 as co-leader with Joao Almeida, after Pogacar's absence.
- Several other teams could be interested in Ayuso; Ineos and Movistar do not seem to be immediate options.
- Lidl-Trek appears as the strongest option for Ayuso: the team has a great momentum (second in total victories of this season, with important wins in Amstel Gold Race, Giro and Tour).
- Lidl-Trek is looking for a leader for the grand tours and Ayuso fits that profile perfectly.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses 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.
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- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026 - Indeed! A reluctant gift maybe. Even more reluctant gift from Roglic! Tho I can’t see that Rog would have beaten Ving anyway.Lozza14-11-2026
- That really nasty crash in 2022 Liege must have played a big part - broken ribs, pneumothorax. You only have to look at his points tallies pre and post.Lozza14-11-2026
- Yeah, good luck getting tv and race organisers like ASO etc to part with their cash!Lozza14-11-2026
- 36 and Ineos have bought a rider on the downward slope. Bring back Dave and Rob who could manage the team. How are Ineos going to win a grand tour with people past their sell by date.paultryan200214-11-2026
- Mmmm would he be making these comments when he was on the richest team when riding. I think not i suspect. If we want money put into the sport we need sponsors who are prepared to put the money in. No disrespect but his team are 2nd or 3rd div in football terms with riders over the hill or 2nd string riders. If i was a sponsor i would be looking at what publicity am i getting back and Tudor really are just making up the numbers really.paultryan200214-11-2026
- I see (elsewhere) that Alaphilippe had more to say than what got relayed in this stub. Me: he was very good early but his latter third trajectory was the pits. His old boss did what he could (huffed and puffed) but Julian couldn't get his greatness back. Sometimes I wonder if crashes that didn't look like much changed the course of the rider.flyer14-11-2026
- I wouldn't classify it as a gift because the nasty consequences of taking it from Sepp would have been great and would persist and he knew it.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. Tratnik's good and Red Bull's better so Tratnik may get what he wants.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
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