"Seixas isn’t at fault at all" - Lidl-Trek absolve Frenchman after Juan Ayuso crash in Québec
CyclingSaturday, 12 September 2026 at 14:00
Juan Ayuso’s heavy crash in the closing kilometers of the GP de Québec has set off alarm bells in the Spanish team ahead of the World Championships in Montréal. The rider from Alicante hit the deck after getting tangled with Paul Seixas in the final phase of the Canadian race and, although he was able to cross the line on foot, the true extent of his injuries will only be known with time.
Josu Larrazabal, Lidl-Trek’s coach, told MARCA how Ayuso is doing after the incident and urged maximum caution before assessing his recovery. The Basque coach exchanged messages with the rider after the race and the initial signs were relatively reassuring.
“These are knocks that need a couple of days before you see the real consequences,” Larrazabal explained. He added that Ayuso was angry about what happened, but even had the spirit to joke after the race. “He was upset and even able to joke and, in that respect, the first reaction wasn’t bad,” he noted.
The first medical check also did not reveal any reason for alarm, although Larrazabal insists it is still too soon to draw conclusions. “The doctor’s first observation wasn’t bad either, but we want to be cautious and wait 48 hours,” he said.
The passing hours will therefore be decisive. Larrazabal himself warns that this type of impact can worsen in the days following a crash. “He’ll surely feel it today, but often the worst moment with these knocks is at 48 hours, and you have to be prudent,” he explained.
La aparatosa caída de Juan Ayuso a solo 50 metros de meta 💥
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) September 11, 2026
Ha entrado a meta a pie y con claros gestos de dolor 🤕#LaCasadelCiclismo pic.twitter.com/fkfTwe00WS
GP de Montréal in doubt
The situation takes on added importance because Ayuso is scheduled to race the GP de Montréal this Sunday, although his participation will logically depend on how he progresses over the next hours. Beyond the Canadian race, the main goal is the World Championships in Montréal, to be held on the 27th of September.
Ayuso is expected to lead Spain in the worlds road race, so any physical setback at this point in the season is a significant concern for the national team. Larrazabal is clear: “We’re preparing for a Worlds, so, well, we need to be mindful and take it day by day.”
The priority now does not appear to be forcing an immediate return to competition, but rather monitoring how the rider’s body responds after the heavy impact suffered in Québec. The GP de Montréal will also serve as an initial gauge to see whether the crash has had any lasting consequences.
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Larrazabal absolves Seixas
The Lidl-Trek coach also wanted to clarify exactly how the crash unfolded, after television images sparked criticism of Paul Seixas. In his view, the young Frenchman bore no responsibility for Ayuso’s fall.
“There’s a movement by a Lotto rider who touches Seixas and Seixas gets thrown,” Larrazabal explained, reconstructing the accident sequence. For that reason, he considers the criticism directed at the French rider to be unfair.
“People are criticizing Seixas, but really… from our perspective Seixas isn’t at fault at all,” he stated bluntly.
According to his account, it all begins with a move by a Lotto rider, who ends up touching Seixas and causes the Frenchman to be shifted inside the bunch. Ayuso gets caught up in that chain reaction and goes down.
“It all starts with the move of one of the Lotto riders and Seixas finds himself caught in the middle,” Larrazabal recounted. He also said that Ayuso himself did not blame the Frenchman for what happened: “Even Juan at no point had the feeling that Seixas was at fault.”
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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