"Pogacar is on another level" - Juan Ayuso overlooks Tour de France victory but jumps into white jersey
Cycling
Juan Ayuso delivered one of his finest rides at the Tour de France. The Spaniard finished fourth on stage 10 after hanging with the best on a brutally demanding day and reclaimed the white jersey as best young rider.
Lidl-Trek had a strong day with both Ayuso and Mattias Skjelmose finishgin in the chasing GC group and winning time on Jonas Vingegaard (a few seconds) and Isaac del Toro, who lost significant time on the Massif Central.
For much of the final climb he even sat virtually third overall, with Isaac del Toro dropped from the favourites’ group. However, Remco Evenepoel’s late surge carried the Belgian over the line ahead of Ayuso and into third overall, leaving the Lidl-Trek leader fourth, as he started the day.
Despite falling short of a podium coup, the Lidl-Trek captain emerged strengthened. He put time into Isaac del Toro and confirmed he is fully in the fight for the places of honour in Paris.
“Pogacar is riding a different race”
Ayuso expressed real satisfaction with his team’s work and acknowledged that, for now, Tadej Pogacar is competing on another plane.
“I’m very happy with how the day went. It was a super hard stage and the whole team was incredible. Everyone did an exceptional job and it was a very good day. I’m pleased to have been up there, gained time on some rivals and finished in the front group,” he said.
The Spaniard was equally clear when assessing the Tour leader’s level.
“I think, for now, Pogacar is on another level. He’s basically riding a different race to ours. The rest of us are the ones fighting for the podium, and we’re very evenly matched. It’s nice to wear this white jersey again,” he said.
Juan Ayuso at the 2026 Tour de France
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“Five or six riders fighting for two spots”
Ayuso stressed the value of taking time on several direct rivals, while insisting the podium fight has only just begun.
“Every day you have to give everything, because we’re seeing five or six riders fighting for two podium spots. It’s going to be a really hard battle to step onto the podium in Paris. We just have to focus on taking it day by day, and Mattias Skjelmose also put in a great ride. We’re very happy,” he noted.
“I didn’t have the legs to pull”
During the chase after Pogacar’s attack, Ayuso rarely came through in the pursuing group, a decision he explained after the finish.
“In the valley I was already completely on the limit. When Jonas accelerated, he was already taking us to the maximum even before the descent. I was on the wheel the whole time, holding between 450 and 460 watts, so I was doing everything I could just to hang on. I would have loved to seize the chance to move onto the overall podium, but I simply didn’t have the legs,” he concluded.
With the white jersey back on his shoulders and only a step from the overall podium, Ayuso heads into the high mountains with intact confidence. The major Alpine and Pyrenean stages will decide a contest that promises fireworks between Evenepoel, Seixas, Ayuso himself, Del Toro, Skjelmose and the rest of the contenders; while Pogacar appears to be racing in a league of his own.
Juan LarraCycling Journalist
Juan Larra is a writer for Cyclinguptodate and editor-in-chief of Ciclismoaldia, where he has played a central role since its inception. Under his leadership, the website has become a trusted source for professional cycling coverage, offering in-depth analysis, news, and feature stories.
A sports journalist with over 20 years of experience, Juan earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Seville in 2007. He began his career covering a wide range of sports—including football, basketball, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and cycling—for platforms such as the official La Liga app, Vodafone and Movistar websites, NBA Blogdebasket, and Cadena Cope, honing his skills in writing and editorial management.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Juan contributes to Cyclinguptodate and serves as editor-in-chief for the tennis-focused site Tenisaldia. Throughout his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with cyclists and sports figures, provided detailed analysis of competitions ranging from local Spanish races to major international events, and acted as a special correspondent at prestigious races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.
Juan’s combination of experience, expertise, and direct access to athletes has established him—and the platforms he leads—as authoritative voices in professional cycling.
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- So far, a good series about riders before my time, even if the text feels AI generated like so much on this site. About the rider, he seems like one of many who are active fan favorites but don’t survive in the stories of cycling, a few decades later - I didn’t really know anything about him and this was a good read, thank you!RidesHills15-11-2026
- A calm, honest documentary, a bit of hagiography but mostly not too much. When he talks about a coffee shop, it aligns with several things in his world - he might want calm, but he does (more than a little bit) have someone near him (his fiancee) who makes sure that things happen the way he expects. Many atheletes have retired only to find out just how much others were taking care of their lives for them. If they work out (I'm old, things happen), I am sure it will take a renegotiation, which is a good thing. I truly enjoyed watching it, seeing him, seeing her, seeing the whole system built around him.RidesHills15-11-2026
- You do? My mother grew up around Bleiburg (Pliberk), across the border in Austria . My grandparents lived close to the train station in Bleiburg, and I spent a lot of the 70s and 80s there. The "Jugo" train of my youth went to Dravograd or Maribor, exotic places (behind the wall) at the time. What a moment that was, the 10 days war of '91 - times sure have changed.RidesHills15-11-2026
- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
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