"The differences can be bigger than in an ITT" - Juan Ayuso warns about the pitfalls of Wednesday's team time trial

Juan Ayuso was originally not going to race the Vuelta a Espana 2025. The rider, who is being frequently rumored to be on the leave from UAE Team Emirates - XG at the end of the current season, was only supposed to ride the Giro d'Italia as a grand tour this year, but Tadej Pogacar's "no" to the Spanish race made the Emirati team rescue him for the cause to co-lead the race with Joao Almeida.

As he was not preparing for La Vuelta (the Valencian rider had the European and World Championships with Alejandro Valverde's Spain as his main objectives at the end of the season), he arrived short of form at the start in Turin last Saturday, September 23, and now, little by little, he seems to be warming up his legs as the first two stages approach, which could make a difference in the general classification: the team time trial on Wednesday and the finish in Andorra on Thursday.

Today he spoke to the Spanish media after the third stage just before the transfer by plane to Catalonia that all the riders must make to arrive in time for the team time trial in Figueras (UAE will be the penultimate team to take the start, at 17:57 hours, just four minutes before the Jonas Vingegaard's Visma | Lease a Bike).

When asked about the transfer, he logically announced fatigue at the end of the day for all the teams: "We have to fly, it's going to be a very long day."

On whether the 24-kilometer time trial in Figueras was good for them, he didn't want to get too wet: "I'll tell you later, if it goes well, yes, if it doesn't, no." He made it clear that it can be a very dangerous race that can generate differences between the riders in the general classification. However, he made it clear that it can be a very dangerous race that can generate differences between the men in the general classification: "The differences can be bigger than in an individual time trial."

Finally, when questioned about the fact that David Gaudu had stolen the red jersey from Vingegaard on the speedometer, he played it down: "It doesn't make much difference that Gaudu took the red."

Juan Ayuso is tenth in the general classification of the Vuelta a Espana 2025, 16 seconds behind Gaudu and Vingegaard, 8 seconds behind Giulio Ciccone and 2 seconds behind Egan Bernal. He has the same time as his teammate Joao Almeida and other favorites like Jai Hindley, Santiago Buitrago, Ben O'Connor, Mikel Landa or Tom Pidcock.