“No time gap, no crash, so overall it’s a good day” – Juan Ayuso quiet but safe on stage 3 of La Vuelta 2025

After a chaotic and intense 3rd stage of the 2025 Vuelta a Espana, Juan Ayuso delivered a calm, measured reflection on his performance — finishing 35th, level on time with stage winner David Gaudu. The Groupama - FDJ rider outsprinted Mads Pedersen and Jonas Vingegaard on a punishing uphill finale, but for Ayuso, the key takeaway was simply staying safe and avoiding time losses.

“It was a super hard [finish], super hectic, a mix between a mountain top finish where you have to be in the front, and a sprint finish with all the chaos,” Ayuso explained in his post-stage interview afterwards. “That’s super chaotic because everybody wants to be in front more than in a normal sprint stage or a mountain finish, everybody wants to be there. But there is no time gap, no crash, so overall it’s a good day. Everybody prefers if your rival doesn’t take time, [Vingegaard took 4 bonus seconds] but it is what it is.”

In the finale, with the breakaway caught inside 20km to go, positioning became a frantic battle. Teams like Lidl-Trek, Visma, UAE, and Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe jostled for supremacy heading into the 2.5km uphill punchy finish. Even Vingegaard was fully involved, blurring the lines between sprinters and GC contenders.

Ultimately, it was David Gaudu who emerged victorious, powering past Pedersen and Vingegaard in the sprint to claim a memorable stage win. Ayuso’s quiet but calculated approach ensured he finished on the same time, maintaining his standing without mishap — a strategic success in a day defined by chaos.

For Ayuso and his team, the focus now shifts to the coming stages where time gaps and risks will inevitably increase, but after stage 3, the mantra was simple: stay safe, stay close and wait for days later in the race.