Behind the incredible Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), I am a teammate, Juan Ayusowould perhaps like to shine a little more. The 22-year-old Spanish runner is surely the most talented of his generation. Excellent climber, good puncher, rather fast, Ayuso has many qualities. However, he had a complicated 2024 season. After a great start to the year (winner of the Tour of the Basque Country2nd of Tirreno-Adriatico), Juan Ayuso had bad luck on several occasions, often being ill or injured. For In the Leader's Jersey, Ayuso has confided and he wants “become the best runner in the world”.
Video – Tadej Pogacar at press conference Tuesday
“If Tadej does the Giro…”
Ayuso looked back on his season. “It was a bit of a strange year. I started strong, but when I stopped racing and started preparing for the Tour de France setbacks continued to occur. I crashed leaving the Dauphiné and had to leave the Tour very early. In fact, I never came back. A season of yin and yang, during which I grew up again”he explained. I don't really regret anything, even though I probably made mistakes.”
“I need to improve in all aspects, but at the moment my main focus is on the mountain. I consider myself a climber, but when I look at my victories, half of them have been on the bike time trial. It's weird for me because I've always been a climber.” he declared, he who wants to participate in the Giro next year. “I'm going to the Giro. If Tadej doesn't go to the Giro, so be it. If he goes to the Giro, I'll still go. I'm fully focused on the Tour of Italy, one of my big objectives If Tadej also does the Giro, it will change something and I will ride for him, but it will not change my preparation.he explained.
“Tadej Pogacar is not a rival, but…”
The relationship between Ayuso and its leader has caused a lot of ink to flow, yet the Spaniard seems to admire Tadej Pogacar. “A Grand Tour is easier for Tadej than for all of us. It's difficult to get advice from him in this area. He is the best in the world, so it seems easier than it actually is .I have a lot of friends outside of sports who ask me if this is normal. So I say no, because what he is doing is not normal. When you see Lionel Messi dribbling all his opponents, it seems easy, right? But this is not the case for other footballers either.he declared.
However, the 22-year-old climber wants to become the best runner in the world one day, and must surpass the Slovenian: “I want to become the best runner in the world. Currently it's Tadej, so you're going to write that I want to be better than him. But that's not what I mean. I dream of being the best one day , so I will have to be better than him. He is not a rival, but he sets my goal.
