"Tadej Pogacar is our leader, but we can play other cards" - Juan Ayuso excited by UAE Team Emirates options at 2024 Tour de France

UAE Team Emirates are attempting to leave nothing to chance in their quest to reclaim the Maillot Jaune at the 2024 Tour de France, bringing all their big hitters with them to the startline.

One of those men to battle it out for UAE Team Emirates in France, is Juan Ayuso. "I asked the team if I could do the Tour. I'm excited for my debut, a dream come true," the Spaniard tells In de Leiderstrui. "The last two years I have focused on the Vuelta a España, but I have been thinking about the Tour de France since I was little. This was a good time to give it a try."

With Ayuso joined by the likes of Joao Almeida, Adam Yates, Marc Soler and Pavel Sivakov with of course, Tadej Pogacar leading the charge, the potential options UAE Team Emirates could go with are plentiful. "It is clear that Tadej is the leader, but we have already seen in the 2023 Vuelta that it is more difficult to compete against three than against one. Vingegaard, Roglic and Kuss had a bizarre level there, but if they had ridden without each other, we would have had a completely different race," Ayuso previews.

It's clear that whilst Pogacar remains the leader, Ayuso still sees a chance for himself. "We have to remember that towards the Tour: Tadej is our leader, but we can play other cards to put pressure on other teams," he concludes. "With Tadej, Adam, João and myself we probably have one of the strongest Tour teams ever and if we work well together and help each other, we can use that as an advantage."