"Sometimes in the media, we don’t see the best version of him": But Carlos Verona backs Juan Ayuso to become Grand Tour leader Lidl-Trek have been searching for

Carlos Verona believes Lidl-Trek have finally found the Grand Tour leader they have been searching for — and he has no concerns whatsoever about the arrival of Juan Ayuso. In fact, the 33-year-old insists that big personalities are essential for winning the sport’s biggest races, welcoming the former UAE Team Emirates - XRG prodigy into what he calls a “human” and “balanced” environment.

Speaking to Domestique, Verona framed Ayuso’s transfer not as a disruption to Lidl-Trek’s existing hierarchy, but as the missing piece in their long-term strategy.

“One of the strengths of this team is that they really let you be yourself,” he explained. “And besides, all the big champions have strong characters, no? They all have something special about them. Maybe some of them show it more in the media, some others keep it inside, but they all have something special: that’s why they’re winners.”

Verona believes Lidl-Trek’s atmosphere — and the stability of its core group — will allow Ayuso to reset after his turbulent exit from UAE. Having spent time with him during the World Championships in Kigali, he dismisses the public perception of an erratic young star.

“I think that sometimes in the media, we don’t see the best version of him, but I think he’s a nice guy,” Verona said. “I think we can give him a good environment, so I hope he can start a new chapter of his career in a different way.”

Verona’s words carry weight not simply because of seniority, but because he embodies the team-first ethos he now hopes to transmit to Ayuso. Long before his standout 2025 Giro stage win, he had already carved out a career defined by hard work, humility and a clear understanding of his strengths.

He learned early that results would not shape his identity — service would. “When you are a gregario, you work for a team, no?” he said of his Giro victory. “It was not the moment to get emotional; it was the moment to be focused and do everything as well as I could do.”

But Verona’s reflections go far beyond the iconic image of him winning in Asiago with his family waiting at the finish. He has become increasingly vocal about what modern cycling overlooks in its obsession with power data.

“Nowadays everybody can do really good numbers, no?” he said. “But in the end, I think professional cycling is about much more than numbers. We live together for one month, away from our families, so we have to fight together as a team. You need the right people to do that.”

That philosophy explains why Lidl-Trek offered him a rare three-year extension at 33 — a contract that raised eyebrows for its length but makes total sense given his influence.

Part of Verona’s growing stature comes from the way he handles more uncomfortable topics. His criticism of the Vuelta organisers’ handling of politically charged protests — and the subsequent online backlash — could easily have pushed him into silence. Instead, he doubled down on his belief that riders were left exposed by a lack of leadership from governing bodies.

“I was just trying to say that I was sad that the sport was being used for political things,” he told Domestique. “Many things were happening around the race that we could not control. I think we were exposed to a risk that wasn’t necessary.”

He also addressed, without deflection, the criticism directed at him in Spain over his residency in Andorra — something most riders avoid discussing openly. “It’s not that it’s simply my postal address,” he said. “When you’re a professional cyclist, you are almost 180 days on the road every year, and you need a place where you can make the most of your career on the financial side and also in terms of your training. For me, Andorra is the perfect mix.”

That Andorran connection runs deeper than lifestyle. Verona helped launch the new Andorra MoraBanc Classica and remains involved in its organisation — a rare example of a current rider actively shaping a race from the inside. “Cycling is a lot of physical effort but not a lot of mental effort. To find this balance, I wanted to put time into something else, and this ‘something else’ has been this race,” he said.

Despite everything he has achieved — seventeen Grand Tours, a Dauphine stage, and one of his finest seasons in 2025 — Verona believes his most meaningful accomplishment still lies ahead.

“The one thing I really have left to do in cycling is to win a Grand Tour with a teammate,” he admitted. “I think I’ve done 17 Grand Tours and never done it, so I really hope we can do that in the next three years.”

With Lidl now fully owning the team, investment rising across every department and Ayuso stepping in as the marquee leader, that ambition no longer feels remote. The Spaniard has found the role he was born for: not a winner, but a cornerstone — a rider who binds a generation together.

And if Ayuso is to lift a Grand Tour trophy in Lidl-Trek colours, Verona will almost certainly be right beside him.