“The goal is obviously to be on the podium in Paris” - Juan Ayuso sends warning as Lidl-Trek back Tour de France podium bid

Juan Ayuso will arrive at the 2026 Tour de France with Lidl-Trek openly backing a podium challenge, but the Spaniard has warned that surviving the first part of the race may be just as important as anything he can produce in the mountains.

The 23-year-old was confirmed as Lidl-Trek’s general classification leader in the team’s eight-rider Tour lineup, with Mattias Skjelmose also starting in a protected role and Mads Pedersen targeting stage wins and the green jersey. After leaving UAE Team Emirates – XRG for Lidl-Trek, Ayuso now heads into July with clear ownership of a team’s GC project.

“The goal is obviously to be on one step on the podium of Paris,” said Ayuso in Lidl-Trek’s announcement. “It’s still going to be three weeks of hard work, and we will see what we can achieve.”

Ayuso began his Lidl-Trek spell with victory at the Volta ao Algarve, but his spring did not settle into a clean Tour build-up. He crashed out of Paris-Nice while leading the race, then abandoned the Tour of the Basque Country due to sickness before taking a longer block away from racing. His return at the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes was more encouraging, with back-to-back second places in the mountains and third overall.

The Tour starts in Barcelona, and Lidl-Trek have built a squad designed to keep Ayuso protected before the race reaches its decisive high-mountain phase. The opening team time trial is also an early test, with the team putting specific work into aerodynamic testing, equipment choices and pacing strategy ahead of the Grand Depart.

“Everything can change in the Tour on any day,” said Ayuso. “It’s important to just not lose time and save energy in the first stages. We have some hard days in the first week but it shouldn’t be too crazy until the weekend of the second week. There and throughout the last week the GC will be decided.”

For Ayuso, the priority is to avoid the traps that can damage a Tour bid before the main climbing stages arrive. The first week contains enough danger to punish poor positioning, illness or crashes, even if the hardest GC terrain is expected later in the race.

“I need to pass until the first rest day trying to save as much energy as possible, not having any crashes, getting sick and then arriving to the last week with a chance to be in play,” Ayuso added.

Lidl-Trek’s selection gives Ayuso a stronger structure than a simple one-leader gamble. Skjelmose starts in a protected role, Derek Gee-West and Carlos Verona strengthen the mountain support, and the power of Mathias Vacek, Toms Skujins and Quinn Simmons gives the team cover through the flatter and more chaotic stages.

Pedersen’s presence also changes the shape of Lidl-Trek’s Tour. The Dane will target stage wins and the green jersey, meaning the team can chase results away from the GC battle while still keeping Ayuso protected for the decisive days.

Ayuso’s first task is not to prove Lidl-Trek’s podium plan in Barcelona. It is to reach the second rest day still close enough for that plan to matter.