UAE Team Emirates reveal Vuelta plans: "Tadej Pogacar will not make the Vuelta, Juan Ayuso will be our leader"
CyclingSaturday, 14 January 2023 at 14:03
According to UAE Team Emirates staff member Joxean Fernández Matxin, Juan Ayuso will once again lead the team at the Vuelta a Espana after riding to a brilliant third-placed finish in 2022.
After the official course of the 2023 Vuelta was announced this past Tuesday, Matxin revealed any potential doubt over whether or not Ayuso could back up the success he achieved last year was immediately alleviated. "This route may suit Juan Ayuso," Matxin pondered. "It's a very mountainous course, the sprinters will be unhappy. It's clear that it will be a race for climbers, with a typical La Vuelta format, that is to say short mountain stages."
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Despite his tender age, Ayuso has already proven he is more than capable of being able to hang with the big names as the road steepens and the air thins. "It's a good course for Juan Ayuso, who I hope will be an important element, both for us and for the race itself," Matxin says. "If we saw him fight for the general at 19, it is clear that we expect him to improve further, of course physically but also in terms of experience."
With Ayuso leading the UAE Team Emirates charge for the Red Jersey, Tadej Pogacar is set to return to France in an attempt to recapture the Maillot Jaune, as Matxin reveals. "Tadej will focus on the Tour de France, and we will come to the Vuelta with Juan Ayuso as the leader."
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- First time I saw Pogacar hyperventilate strongly at the start of a time trial... something wrong?
maria2024202411-06-2025 - Could you explain how Pogacar suffocated Ayuso in Il Giro? maybe Ayuso is not good/mature enough. In other teams he could not defeat Remco, VIngegaard neither Roglic (Volta Catalunia).maria2024202411-06-2025
- WOW! I haven't watched the stage yet but this is a tremendous result for Remco and a great one for Jonas, both are in great form!awp11-06-2025
- It's annoying to constantly portray Ayuso as a victim. Now the world is guilty of not mourning his crashes enough, as it did with Roglic (?). Contador, I expect better from you.maria2024202411-06-2025
- This is very surprising. Tadej lost by such a big margin on TT. MvDP doesn't train much for TT, yet he's up there. Can't imagine what's it like if he really trains for TT. But I suspect that he's stretched too thin across multiple disciplines.
KerisVroom11-06-2025 - RE is extra thin now...
leedorney11-06-2025 - He is also weird about 1) How he was the best domestique for Cadel 2) How he employed genius tactics against Nibali in the Vuelta 3) Only GC mattersabstractengineer11-06-2025
- He needs another team. The dominence of Pogacar in UAE must be suffocating for him. He must have known what he signed up to? I guess the assured long contract money dazzled him. He is only 22 though - It's easy to forget that - he has time to gravitate into a grand tour contentender under the right tuteledge.Cyclingsbestfan11-06-2025
- Move on.......Cyclingsbestfan11-06-2025
- "Why are we stuck with such limited coverage for Dauphiné?" I wonder the same thing, how is it possible? we watched almost NOTHING. And yes, Il Giro coverage (RCS) is by far better than ASO coverages. ASO is good only broadcasting the Tour, even in La Vuelta is horrible... never near cyclists, helicopters shooting from the stratosphere.maria2024202411-06-2025
I think still young.. last year's he was consistent but more a follow wheels and also was a covid or two situations if I recall...
Definitely has the potential...
As we watch a historically talented generation of riders take over the peloton, Ayuso has the chance to announce his presence at their level. We'll see who else shows up, but with Pogacar definitely out and Vingegaard not likely, the big questions are Roglic and Evenpoel. With 4 victories between them and no TDF for either this year, one or both will surely be there. They would be the favorites, but Ayuso look ferocious to me.