"This story goes back months" - Ayuso's departure from UAE unrelated to Vuelta tension

Javier Ares, Eurosport’s veteran cycling narrator, has discussed on his YouTube channel the news that Juan Ayuso will leave UAE Team Emirates to join Lidl-Trek. Ares explained that the deal has been finalized for some time and stressed that the events of the current Vuelta a España 2025 have had no bearing on the outcome. The move, he said, is the result of months of negotiation and an offer too significant for UAE to refuse.

"This story goes back months. Although UAE has enormous financial muscle, the accumulation of talent in the future with Isaac del Toro, Jan Christen and others made the situation even more complicated. Lidl-Trek made a very high offer, and UAE, faced with the amount, ended up accepting. The agreement is complete: Lidl-Trek has acquired the services of Ayuso after a significant payment, in a context in which Evenepoel is around five million euros."

According to Ares, the deal is sealed but won’t be announced until later. "It's not about revealing private agreements, but to underline that Ayuso will ride the next four or five seasons with Lidl-Trek. The pact is absolute between the three parties. Officially nothing will be announced until the end of the season, but on this rest day the operation has been definitively closed."

He was clear that the Vuelta controversies had no influence. "Does this have anything to do with what happened in the Vuelta a España? No. I clarify it to clear doubts: the agreement comes from behind, from months of negotiations, and is not a consequence of Ayuso's recent gestures. Some people thought that he was forcing the machine in the Vuelta, showing a selfish character to provoke the break with UAE. But the reality is that everything was on track long before."

For Ares, the transfer works for both sides. "For Ayuso it's great news: he signs for a very strong team, with top riders like Pedersen, Milan, top classics and young riders of the future like Héctor Álvarez. Lidl-Trek thus reinforces its block with a leader for stage tours, with the ability to compete against UAE, Red Bull or Visma."

And from UAE’s perspective, it brings relief. "For UAE, on the other hand, it relieves an inevitable tension. There will be those who blame the team and Machín for the lack of decisiveness, and those who blame Ayuso, while others think that Almeida should have measured his words better when pointing the finger at his teammates. Was Almeida right in his remarks? No. Was Ayuso's gesture of letting himself go during the first few substitutions a nice gesture? He missed an opportunity to rehabilitate himself, even if he didn't count that in the first two hours of the stage he was attacking, jumping all the breaks and looking for the breakaway."

Ares also highlighted that Almeida’s issues extend beyond Ayuso, with Jan Christen also at odds. "It is also convenient to make some nuances about internal relations. Between Almeida and Ayuso they were not bad, although there are details that weigh. For example, Christen is not in this Vuelta a España because his behavior in the Tour of Switzerland, the race he won with Almeida, was not the most appropriate for the team. I expected him to be in UAE's starting eight for the Vuelta, but he was dropped. These stories are repeated, sometimes tolerated and sometimes not. Has there been a lack of authority? More than authority, I would say there has been a lack of decisiveness."

The absence of Pogacar changes everything within the team. "When Pogacar is there, there is no problem: everyone has clear ideas, he is the super favorite and the bet is unequivocal. But when Pogacar is not there, four or five riders emerge claiming his role. It is said that you have to work for a leader, and it is true that this is ideal and that unity is strength. But then you have to ask the general manager under what conditions he brought in Adam Yates, under what terms he signed Ayuso or Almeida, what bonuses he offered... It's all more complex than it seems."

Relations between Almeida and Ayuso had already been strained. "And we can't ask Ayuso for the best relationship with Almeida when in last year's Tour he unnecessarily pointed at him with that famous hand gesture, telling him to pass in front. That does not help to create a good atmosphere. Nor do public complaints help, even if Almeida was right when he said he missed his teammates in the lead. Other riders like Bain and Soler were also annoyed."

Internal debates have also centered around Isaac del Toro. "One can reproach, for example, that Del Toro did not stay with Ayuso at the Siena stage. If it had been Pogacar, surely he would have had the obligation to do so. Ayuso is not Pogacar, it is clear, and the team was right to give freedom to Del Toro. We must refer to the facts and judge everyone by their actual behavior, without biased views."

Still, Ares insists UAE remains ambitious for the Vuelta despite the turbulence. "In summary, the atmosphere within the team in the Vuelta, at least until the rest day, has been good. Another thing will be what happens after the tenth stage. Almeida has sent out a message of optimism that I hope the group will take on board. No one disputes that Visma is very strong, that he put in a great performance yesterday and that Vingegaard is the big favorite to repeat his victory. But Almeida still intends to fight. It remains to be seen if, at some point, the wear and tear of the Tour de France takes its toll on Vingegaard. For the moment, Almeida looks strong and in good condition."