Matxin on Tadej Pogacar and Juan Ayuso's relationship: "The people who say they cannot race together are far removed from reality"
Cycling
UAE Team Emirates is the wealthiest team in the current pro peloton and with it comes the possibility of internal clashes due to the presence of so many leaders. However, between Tadej Pogacar and Juan Ayuso there are no misunderstandings according to team manager Joxean Matxin, who dismisses theories that have spread throughout social media.
“The people who say they cannot race together are far removed from reality. Juan will play an important role in the team again next year. It's an important cycling season for him," Maxtin said in an interview with Diario AS where it was also unveiled that he has signed a long-term contract with the team.
On stage 4 of the Tour de France, both Adam Yates and João Almeida expressed dissatisfaction over Juan Ayuso's conservative approach to the Col du Galibier when the team was pulling all-out to prepare an attack for Tadej Pogacar. The Spaniard abandoned the race the following week with Covid-19 and did not play much of a support role for the Slovenian, unlike all other team members.
Ever since, there's been almost a constant controversy surrounding the Spaniard, who was also not selected to the Vuelta a España. Over social media the criticism was often repeated and it went as far as having a few news outlets arguing that Ayuso (and also João Almeida, in one case) could never race with Pogacar again. These statements are completely unfounded according to Matxin, who has scouted both talents who actively win races for the Emirati team.
He has reaffirmed the team's commitment to Ayuso plenty times, and does so once again when asked about the youngster: “I have a blind faith in Juan. He will obviously appear at the start of a race once, with the goal of helping Tadej. But he will also have opportunities for himself. If we take Tadej to a race he can win, we will try to play Juan out in another race. As a team we want to get as many big wins as possible and then it's important to start with a leader everywhere," he concluded.
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We are incredibly proud to have been crowned UCI World Tour Best Team for the second time after achieving a total of 81 wins in 2024🙌
— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) October 21, 2024
Congratulations to the entire team for an incredibly special season!🥇🏆🇦🇪#WeAreUAE pic.twitter.com/cFzqRFrAQz
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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