Juan Ayuso discussion thread

[Valv.Piti]

Ayuso didn't feel good before, during and after the TT, if I understand things correctly. He thought he had cought COVID, but has tested negative since.

Could just be due to his age and insufficient prep.

I hope he recovers, but would not be at all surprised if he doesn't finish the race.

Lol, being able to ride this well at 19 years of age while feeling sick on stage 10 in La Vuelta. Almeida might soon need to look for a new team..

 

[staubsauger]

Ayuso didn't feel good before, during and after the TT, if I understand things correctly. He thought he had cought COVID, but has tested negative since.

Could just be due to his age and insufficient prep.

I hope he recovers, but would not be at all surprised if he doesn't finish the race.

Matxin told Eurosport beforehand that Ayuso couldn't sleep properly and had headaches due to the heat.

 

[groogster]

I think that he might bonk along the way, but what he's doing in his first GT at only 19 years old means that he will grow into a full winner prospect in the future. If he can hold into, say a top5, it will be just amazing for such a young guy. Almost at a Pogacar 2019 Vuelta level which speaks for itself. And this year Vuelta´s GC field, despite some of the riders being off form, is a truly strong one, it's enough to see the current top 20 to get a picture.

 

[staubsauger]

If Ayuso still holds top 5 or even top 7 position after Sierra Nevada and then bonks it's obviously about age and recovery. Not about talent.

Race needs to get very chaotic and intense though, for that to happen. I don't quite see the terrain.

Even though I might under estimate the intensity of a 3 week grand tour on a 19 years old body.

Soccer players perform on the highest level at that age too. Kluivert was about to become 19 years old when he scored the winning goal in the 1995 Champions League final for Ajax.

 

[groogster]

If Ayuso still holds top 5 or even top 7 position after Sierra Nevada and then bonks it's obviously about age and recovery. Not about talent.

Race needs to get very chaotic and intense though, for that to happen. I don't quite see the terrain.

Even though I might under estimate the intensity of a 3 week grand tour on a 19 years old body.

Soccer players perform on the highest level at that age too. Kluivert was about to become 19 years old when he scored the winning goal in the 1995 Champions League final for Ajax.

I'm not an expert on Physiology but my common sense and almost 40 years of cycling fan (and below average amateur cyclist) makes me think that a 3 week stage race it's very stressful and punishing in a 19 years old human body.
What's clear by now (even if he bonk or fades towards the end) it's that Ayuso will be a top tier GC guy, he's way above average for his age

 

[groogster]

I'm not an expert on Physiology but my common sense and almost 40 years of cycling fan (and below average amateur cyclist) makes me think that a 3 week stage race it's very stressful and punishing in a 19 years old human body.
What's clear by now (even if he bonk or fades towards the end) it's that Ayuso will be a top tier GC guy, he's way above average for his age

In football, they don't do daily 4 hours long sustained efforts during 21 days so not so stressful for the body

 

[CyclistAbi]

I agree that there is a trend of such young guys believing they have to win a GT or they are nobody. And teams assisting them. Then by the age 26 or so for the career to be over. Instead of i guess only getting started.

 

[JosefK]

Ayuso is still riding with the elites in this Vuelta past the halfway point. He's 19.

 

[Bolder]

Ayuso is still riding with the elites in this Vuelta past the halfway point. He's 19.

And he only has a 10 page rider thread. If a certain Belgian had done that it would have crashed the internet.

 

[Red Rick]

He's doing a lot better than I thought he would. I was a little sceptical about his long term GT prospects because his best results so far had been in the punchier medium mountain stages, but this has been different.

For me there's a big difference between barely hanging on for a top 10 for 3 weeks and being in the mix for top 5, being there in the first group mainly even if he collapses in the third week.

Another thing is while his style reminds me a lot of Pogacar, he's quite a bit taller, which I hadn't noticed before.

 

[roundabout]

Wonder if he was lucky to find the bike that fit or merely super good as I expected him to lose more time after the bike change

 

[staubsauger]

Maybe he just isn't a sissy?

 

[SHAD0W93]

Sucks about the flat tire as he could have potentially finished with Roglic or Rodriquez. So far a great GT for the young rider.

 

[groogster]

Sucks about the flat tire as he could have potentially finished with Roglic or Rodriquez. So far a great GT for the young rider.

Without the flat he could probably finish with Almeida, don't think that he could follow Mal and Roglic but we'll never know. But he is very strong for his age and being only his first GT. Besides this profile stages suits him very well imo. He's a very strong rider in medium mountains and in the explosive finishes. He will become stronger in the next seasons so we could have here a real contender to Vinge, Poga and Evenepoel.

 

[roundabout]

Not bad for a medium mountain rider

Someone should help me understand how a rider who finished top 5 in Catalunya and Romandie in the age 20 season is seen as strong in medium mountains first

 

[Pantani Attacks]

Kid is the truth. Has a great future ahead of him.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

So UAE has the response to Vingegaard in the making? Pogi for a fake leader/actual superdom at the next TdF.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

One has to wonder where his development can go from here. How much he can still improve. If he can improve like a regular 20 year old, Pogi and Almeida will be fighting for scraps at UAE.

 

[Escarabajo]

Ayuso taking a page out of the Pogacar book!
I am impressed at this kid.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Keep this up for another week and then an issue free winter/spring and surely he’ll contest the giro no?

 

[groogster]

One has to wonder where his development can go from here. How much he can still improve. If he can improve like a regular 20 year old, Pogi and Almeida will be fighting for scraps at UAE.

Ahh, jumping on conclusions now! Saying Ayuso will be better than Pogacar is kind of over the top. Does Ayuso have a greater threshold than Almeida? it seems that way just by looking at this Vuelta, but in perspective we have to understand that Almeida came here with 1GT in his legs and covid.
Will he be better than Pogacar? There’s no way we can know that at this point. Let’s see how his development goes from now on before jumping into conclusions. When he manages to win 2 TDF by the age of 22/23 then we can talk about it.

 

[groogster]

Keep this up for another week and then an issue free winter/spring and surely he’ll contest the giro no?

Don’t believe in him doing the giro already. Very much pointed out to do Vuelta again. Not seeing him doing 2 GT in a season by the age of 20.
And it would be out of the question not putting him next season doing the Spanish GT after this performance. He simply has to race at Vuelta, being spanish and the biggest prospect for Years to come in Spanish cycling.
If you ask me, Giro/Almeida; TDF/Pogacar/Almeida; Vuelta/Ayuso

 

[groogster]

So UAE has the response to Vingegaard in the making? Pogi for a fake leader/actual superdom at the next TdF.

He needs just one more season being cherished and protected, having a shot at next Vuelta and then, if he shows what we all see that he can become, unleashed at TDF in 2024.

 

[Peyroteo94]

And he only has a 10 page rider thread. If a certain Belgian had done that it would have crashed the internet.

That certain Belgian is close to win his first gt at 22 years old.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Next year he and Almeida will help Pogi in the Tour.