Vuelta a Espana director makes request for UAE Team Emirates: "The race and the country need Ayuso to be there"

Javier Guillén, director of the Vuelta a España, is very excited about the 2024 edition of the race that will start from Lisbon on August 17 and hopes that riders who are not fixed for the race, such as Primoz Roglic, Carlos Rodríguez or Juan Ayuso, will be confirmed soon in the startlist.

Thus, in statements to diario AS, the general manager of Unipublic, spoke first on Primoz Roglic, a three-time winner of the race in recent years, who was forced to abandon the Tour de France due to injuries, and has not made a decision on whether he'll race the Vuelta.: "I'm confident that Roglic will be there. We're counting on him, but it's clear he'll come if he's fit enough to race the race. We know that Bora will bring a team so he will be well supported."

Although Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar have assured that they will not go, Guillén is sure that there will be a great show in the Vuelta with a high level of UAE, with a Richard Carapaz that guarantees a show and he hopes with the presence of INEOS Grenadiers' Carlos Rodríguez:

"UAE will come with serious aspirations to win, with Adam Yates who can be one of the candidates. Carapaz is coming, who always encourages, and with the participation of Carlos Rodriguez I'm optimistic because of how he finished the Tour and his statements." He fails to mention João Almeida who finished fourth in the Tour de France and will be the best-placed rider who will race the Vuelta, who simultaneously has a home start to a Grand Tour, something that has happened only once in the history of Portugal.

Guillén's wish

However Guillén is particularly keen on having the main Spanish riders take part in the race, including Juan Ayuso who is also in doubt as it was not in his initial schedue: "As of today we don't have Ayuso's confirmation and I also think that there is a question to analyze and that is that the teams are made in advance. The riders have their preparations done and I don't think it's easy to remove a rider from a team to put another one. From there, as a Spanish race, I ask the team to bring us Ayuso. But I ask it with affection, I ask it cordially and I ask it understanding any circumstance. Of course, both the rider, the race and the country need Ayuso to be there".

In the final days of the Tour de France, Guillén told EFE Agency that both Roglic and Ayuso has confirmed their presence in the Vuelta. At the time, sources within Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe confirmed to CyclingUpToDate at the Tour de France that there was no decision and he was only riding his bike indoors. It is a somewhat difficult line of thought to follow, as he continues to try and have the best possible startlist in Lisbon in the space of two and a half weeks.