"We didn’t expect him to lose so much time" - UAE reeling after Juan Ayuso's shock stage 16 explosion at Giro d'Italia

Prior to the start of the 2025 Giro d'Italia, many saw the race as a battle between Juan Ayuso and Primoz Roglic for the Maglia Rosa. After a disastrous stage 16 for the two main favourites saw Ayuso explode and Roglic abandon however, the Italian Grand Tour is heading towards a chaotic finale.

Coming home in 35th on stage 16, nearly 15 minutes down on the stage winner, Ayuso has been left completely out of general classification contention at the Giro and now sits 17th overall at 13:27 down on his own teammate in the Maglia Rosa, Isaac del Toro. Del Toro himself had a difficult stage 16, although he ultimately managed to do enough to keep the race lead, but UAE Team Emirates - XRG are reeling. A position they are not very accustomed to being in of late.

“Juan definitely didn’t feel great. He was having trouble with his knee, where he still has small stitches from his crash during the gravel stage to Siena,” explained UAE Team Emirates - XRG sports director Fabio Baldato in a post-stage interview with Het Nieuwsblad. “We know he sometimes struggles after a rest day, but we didn’t expect him to lose so much time. What can you do? A bad day is just a bad day."

Team boss Mauro Gianetti was also stunned by Ayuso's crack, but took a more reserved approach, highlighting the fact that his team do still lead the race. “He wasn’t feeling well from the very start of the stage. He really struggled in the cold weather. And Juan had already lost some time earlier in the stage, before he completely cracked on the Santa Barbara climb. It is what it is,” Gianetti accepted in conversation with Eurosport. “But we’re still leading with Isaac del Toro. Let’s see what the coming days will bring.”