“You have to play it smart if you want to win” – Juan Aysuo wins UAE’s 5th Vuelta stage

Stage 12 of the Vuelta a España ended with Juan Ayuso taking his second victory of this year’s race after a tense sprint against Javier Romo. The pair had broken clear from a large escape group on the slopes of Collada de Brenes and held off the chasers on the long run-in. At first it seemed that Ayuso would go solo, but he was caught by Romo and could not distance his Spanish compatriot. With Romo and Ayuso growing increasingly wary of each other in the final kilometres, it wasn’t until the last metres that the race was decided. In the end, Ayuso had the speed and the local knowledge to seal the win at the line, picking up his second win of this year’s Vuelta, and UAE Team Emirates – XRG’s 5th.

"We're racing here in Matxin's home base, which really motivated me. I raced a lot in this region when I was younger, and I even went on holiday here once," Ayuso said afterwards, revealing he had inside knowledge into the conclusion.

Knowing the finish would come down to a sprint, Ayuso relied on his familiarity with the terrain. "Because I know the roads well, I knew how to time the sprint. But I wasn't sure, because after a tough race, you never know. I was a bit nervous, and in the final kilometers, I was told from the car not to participate anymore. That's not something I like, but sometimes you have to play it smart if you want to win."

The decisive moment of the day came on the Collada de Brenes, where the strongest riders distanced the rest. "I attacked on the toughest part of the climb. Before that, Marc Soler had done a great job. He worked incredibly hard to maintain control," Ayuso explained.