The current market is on fire with rumours regarding plenty top riders including Derek Gee, Biniam Girmay but most important Juan Ayuso. For over a year the Spaniard's future with UAE Team Emirates - XRG has been at risk, and it is quite possible that he will leave towards Lidl-Trek this winter. Do you believe this could happen in the near future?
At the 2024 Tour de France there were big signs of an internal dispute within the team as Ayuso seemed reluctant in working for Tadej Pogacar, having João Almeida and Adam Yates visibly displeased with their teammate on stage 4 that went up to the Col du Galibier.
Later in the race, Ayuso fell ill and abandoned the race with a Covid-19 infection, whilst the rest of the team rode to Nice to conquer the Tour in style and domination, leaving the Spaniard without the opportunity to make it up for the earlier situation. With João Almeida (and later on Isaac del Toro) rising in status within the team due to their results, Ayuso would also have less space for leadership, and his contract until 2028 would begin to raise questions.
The one way out of this would be to obtain the desired results. At the start of 2025 the preparation actually looked ideal and he won the Faun-Drôme Classic, Trofeo Laigueglia and then also Tirreno-Adriatico alongside it's queen stage in dominant fashion. At the Volta a Catalunya he won a stage but was beaten by Primoz Roglic in the overall classification. Still the situation was bright towards the Giro d'Italia, his main goal of the season.
But Ayuso would find an internal obstacle in Del Toro, who was performing above expectations and took over the race lead on stage 9. Whilst a favourable position for UAE, the role of the two became unclear as the team looked to keep both in play and also maintain both young talents happy. Ayuso would go on to suffer from a knee injury due to a crash, and after falling out of GC contention, a bee sting would go on to seal the deal and make his continuation in the race hard. After Del Toro finished second and confirmed himself as a Grand Tour contender to always be taken into consideration from that moment onwards, Ayuso would sink to fourth option at best for UAE at the Grand Tours.
Rumours of a departure grew in strength over the past few weeks, with Movistar and Lidl-Trek said to be quite interested. A report from Spanish news outlet AS this morning suggests a deal with Lidl-Trek could be imminent, and Ayuso's individual ambitions (already achieved with a stage win in Cerler) could fuel that possibility. Over the next few weeks we will learn more about the situation and whether another big contract will be broken - joining the likes of Remco Evenepoel and Derek Gee in the space of just a month.
So what do you think? Cast your vote and leave your opinion in the comments...
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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