Tour de France Debut for Juan Ayuso
Juan Ayuso, a 21-year-old Spanish cyclist from the UAE, is set to make his highly anticipated debut in the Tour de France on Saturday. Ayuso’s dream has come true, and he will be helping his team leader, Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, achieve his third victory in the prestigious "Grande Boucle" competition.
Ayuso, who won the Itzulia, expressed his excitement and sense of accomplishment at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, where each of the 22 teams competing in the Tour de France presented their rosters. "I have dreamed of being in the Tour de France since I was a child," Ayuso said. "It’s an incredible, special feeling. We’ll see later what the sensations are like in the career."
Although Ayuso will not be wearing the leader’s jersey, his mission is to support Pogacar in his quest to reclaim the Tour crown after two years of Jonas Vingegaard’s triumphs. Ayuso is clear about his role and goals. "For the team, it is very important to get the victory," he said. "My mission will be to help Tadej achieve that goal, and if they give me some kind of freedom at some stage, I will also try to gain something."
Ayuso has put the mishap he suffered in the fifth stage of the Dauphine behind him and is confident that he will arrive at the Tour in optimal condition. "We have made a good block of training on Isola, and the group is really united and motivated," Ayuso said. "We’ll keep up with the day, but Tadej is good, and we will all try to be by his side."
Supportive Role
Ayuso’s primary focus will be on supporting Pogacar, but he also sees an opportunity to take advantage of a chance to win a stage. "If they give me some kind of freedom at some stage, I will also try to gain something," Ayuso said. With his team’s importance placed on securing a victory, Ayuso will be working closely with Pogacar to achieve their goals.