Tadej Pogacar and Juan Ayuso reunited as Tour de France preparations gain momentum in Sierra Nevada

The 2026 Tour de France begins on the fourth of July, and the two months leading up to the race are mostly spent at altitude or racing for the main climbers in the peloton. It is a busy period, specially on the popular altitude locations. So much so that on social media, footage emerged of Tadej Pogacar and Juan Ayuso training together has emerged.

The two were teammates for several years at UAE Team Emirates - XRG, where Ayuso turned pro in 2021. The results early in his career pointed towards a potential similar to that of the Slovenian, but Pogacar has always been on a level of his own for the past few seasons.

In 2024 they teamed up at the Tour de France, whilst many argue that Ayuso's downfall at UAE began there. His reluctance to work on the opening stage to Valloire sparked discussion; and his withdrawal with Covid-19 later in the race led him to not play a crucial role for the team.

In 2025 he was given a leading role at the Giro d'Italia after a strong spring campaign, but withdrew after a sequence of setbacks. He later won two stages at the Vuelta a España, one marked by the sudden announcement of his departure from the team by the management, against his will timing wise.

Many speculate that the relationship between Ayuso and Pogacar was not good, with the two last teaming up at the 2024 Canadian classics, and never during 2025. However that is most likely not the case in real life.

Sierra Nevada, currently the most popular altitude training camp location for pro cyclists. The hot weather, proximity to central Europe and combination of terrain and prices make it a very attractive hotspot at this time of year.

Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz are leading Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe; Tadej Pogacar and most of his Tour de France block are high up there; and amongst many other teams, Juan Ayuso is also there with Lidl-Trek.

Riders often meet each other on the road, and coincidentally, Ayuso and Pogacar have been recorded training up the mountain together. If at his best level, Ayuso, winner of the Volta ao Algarve earlier this spring, could be a podium candidate in a Grand Boucle where Pogacar will undoubtedly be the man to beat.