"That's cruel" - Alberto Contador stands up for Juan Ayuso after Giro d'Italia injuries were forgotten by many

Primoz Roglic abandoned the Giro d'Italia as a result of several crashes, most notably that suffered on the 'sterrato' stage. However, Alberto Contador has found it very unusual that although Juan Ayuso abandoned in almost the exact same circumstances, his are almost ignored by the cycling world.

“Let's see how he develops. He started as the favorite alongside Roglic in the Giro, but he crashed. Then we forgot he had crashed, and that's cruel,” Contador said in words to Marca. “He has a Grand Tour in his legs. We'll see how far he can go".

The Spaniard went down on the opening day of the race suffering a minor knee injury, and then once again on stage 9 where he gained time on Roglic but lost some to his rivals. He received several stitches in the knees, and after the last day of the race he struggled quite a lot with it. A bee sting in the face then cemented his withdrawal from the race.

"Ayuso is a talented young man with a great mentality," Contador believes. At age 22 he already has four Grand Tours in the legs, although he's had to abandoned the past two prematurely due to injuries or illnesses. The pressure within UAE Team Emirates - XRG has built up on several occasions.

Lastly Contador, who also previously talked about Iván Romeo after his surprising win at the Dauphiné this week, also commented on the state of modern cycling which seems to be the most aggressive in the sport's modern history.

“As spectators, we are enjoying it a lot. Cycling is very attractive and is experiencing a great moment. It's a time to enjoy. Some days I miss it, others not so much," he jokes. "There's a lot of sacrifice for everyone, and you miss that too someday".