"He’s not a three-week rider" - Juan Ayuso's Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes sparks debate about his Tour de France
Cycling
Juan Ayuso arrived at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes as one of the prime contenders for the overall win and to bolster his case ahead of the upcoming Tour de France. However, his ride in France raised more doubts than certainties and sparked a heated debate about his true current level.
On CiclismoAlDía’s podcast, Juan Larra and Javier Rampe broke down the Spaniard’s performance and agreed that the comparison with Isaac del Toro was one of the week’s standout takeaways. The Mexican clearly came out strengthened, while Ayuso left significant question marks.
For Juan Larra, the assessment is not entirely negative. He noted that the Spaniard came in after a season disrupted by various physical issues and, despite that, showed a competitive level for much of the race.
Ayuso's level becomes clear
“He gave it a go. His form looked decent. We didn’t know how he would arrive,” Larra explained, also recalling the setbacks the rider suffered in the early months of the year. “He’s another rider who had a rough start to the season. Then he couldn’t perform because of a crash and so on.”
Even so, he feels the French race helped pinpoint exactly where Ayuso stands before tackling his main goal of the year. The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes provided a clear benchmark for his current chances against the world’s best.
“Now we do have a reference point. We know Juan Ayuso’s level today,” he said. That appraisal leads to a demanding conclusion: “We know he has to improve if he wants to fight for the Tour de France podium.”
Larra also stressed that team expectations were very high. The Spaniard’s signing was precisely to win races of this calibre and assume leadership at major stage races on the international calendar.
“Lidl Trek signed Ayuso to win this type of race as well,” he stated. That is why he believes failing to take victory in a field without Tadej Pogacar or Jonas Vingegaard amounts to a result below expectations.
Juan Ayuso, Lidl-Trek star
Criticism of Juan Ayuso’s Dauphiné
“Not being able to do it without Vingegaard or Pogacar on the start list is, objectively, falling short of the goal,” he remarked. He stopped short of calling it a total failure, noting the Spaniard still made the final podium.
The main concern for the journalist is less the result and more the name of the rider who beat him. The rise of Isaac del Toro is once again prompting inevitable comparisons across the international peloton.
“Having a guy like Del Toro beat you can be worrying,” he said. “It can be a little worrying for Lidl Trek and for Juan Ayuso’s ambitions at the next Tour de France.”
Javier Rampe was far more critical, making his stance on the Spaniard clear from the outset. He believes Ayuso’s main limitation is not talent but adapting to three-week Grand Tours.
“I’m very contrarian when it comes to Juan Ayuso,” he admitted. He then went further: “I don’t think he’s a three-week rider. He’s not a Tour de France rider.”
Rampe even extended his analysis to the other Grand Tours, questioning whether the Spaniard can realistically contend for victory in three-week races. In his view, the issue has cropped up more than once in recent years.
“I don’t think he’d be one for the Giro d’Italia either. Three weeks choke him,” he said. He therefore believes Ayuso’s profile fits much better in one-week stage races, where he has already shown a high level.
“I think he should focus on one-week stage races like the ones he wins early in the year,” he added. That assessment contrasts with the expectations currently surrounding the rider in the international bunch.
Regarding the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Rampe also rejects form as the main explanation for the outcome. In fact, he thinks the situation raises even more doubts looking ahead to the Tour de France.
Isaac del Toro, a podium at the Tour de France?
“If he came in stretched to the limit at the Dauphiné [Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes], imagine how he’ll be for the Tour de France,” he said. For him, the Spaniard was one of the big losers of the French race.
“Juan Ayuso is the big loser. He lost the Dauphiné [Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes] to a domestique, which is Isaac del Toro,” he argued. He also did not rule out the Mexican beating him again at next month’s French Grand Tour.
“Let’s not rule out UAE putting Isaac del Toro on the Paris podium,” he ventured. It is a possibility that reflects the huge leap the young Mexican has made this season.
Rampe’s Tour outlook for Ayuso is not especially optimistic either. He believes the Spaniard still has a lot to prove to sit alongside the leading general classification contenders.
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“He has a great deal to prove. I don’t think he’ll perform to be among the top five at the Tour de France,” he said. He also feels the structure around him does not offer the same guarantees as the race’s dominant blocs.
“Lidl is not a solid team for three weeks either,” he concluded. He wrapped up his analysis with a direct comparison that sums up much of the current debate: “Isaac del Toro is coming in with better legs.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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