Juan Ayuso discussion thread

[SafeBet]

Is Ayuso doing another race? Started the season late so in my opinion he could do Turkey right? Winning another stage and classification before the end of the season would do him good.

Shouldn't he target the Italian classics instead?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Pogi's team was pretty strong this year as well. Remember after stage 1 everyone said: wow, Vingegaard is going to have a hard time beating both Pogacar and Yates! It's one thing having a strong team, you also have to use them. In the end it was mostly just Yates doing leadouts for Pogi.

Yes, UAE was very strong throughout most of the Tour this year. Pogacar's loss had nothing to do with having a bad team. It was about how strong Vingo himself was and about probable shortcomings in preparation which showed in week 3. One would think that UAE bringing another super-strong guy would complicate tactical situation for JV but I'm not sure if Ayuso is a guy Vingo would worry about (at least for now, by next July things can change).

 

[IndianCyclist]

Yes, UAE was very strong throughout most of the Tour this year. Pogacar's loss had nothing to do with having a bad team. It was about how strong Vingo himself was and about probable shortcomings in preparation which showed in week 3. One would think that UAE bringing another super-strong guy would complicate tactical situation for JV but I'm not sure if Ayuso is a guy Vingo would worry about (at least for now, by next July things can change).

Adam Yates is not a guy for breakaway like Kuss did in the Vuelta. In fact he loses if there is tactical play in the beginning. Have the Full UAE team gives Pogi the leverage of trolling Jonas like TDF Stage 6. Give Ayuso 3-5 mins and it will be difficult for Jumbo to claw back time without Jonas in front which leaves him open for a Pogi counter

 

[Bolder]

Pogi's team was pretty strong this year as well. Remember after stage 1 everyone said: wow, Vingegaard is going to have a hard time beating both Pogacar and Yates! It's one thing having a strong team, you also have to use them. In the end it was mostly just Yates doing leadouts for Pogi.

They were, but having one more killer mountain domestique like Ayuso is going to be necessary to match Roglic plus a newly confident Kuss. Ayuso is good enough that if you let him ride like non-GC Kuss he could do some damage (i.e. don't worry about your own results).

No matter what team UAE bring, of course, if Vingegaard is in his 2023 2nd/3rd week form it will be extremely difficult to beat him. But I thought the same about Pogi in 2021, ie that he was nearly unbeatable. One bad stage (bad decisions, partly) and the table turned.

I'd need to look at the route after the presentation but maybe have Ayuso stay in contention and target the first consequential mountain stages for an attack to try to draw out Vingegaard?

 

[Unchained]

Juan Ayuso rode a great year and he should just keep doing what he is doing and big results are going to come too young to worry about anything needing dramatic changes.

 

[balac]

Is Ayuso doing another race? Started the season late so in my opinion he could do Turkey right? Winning another stage and classification before the end of the season would do him good.

He said that he's doing Emilia, Tre Valli and Lombardia in an interview after Vuelta if he recovers well.

 

[Red Rick]

I would like to see Ayuso do the Giro next year. He'd have to work for Pog in the Tour and another Vuelta only year would be yawn.

 

[roundabout]

I would like to see Ayuso do the Giro next year. He'd have to work for Pog in the Tour and another Vuelta only year would be yawn.

He is not any 21 year-old, but I think doing a GT double (as in starting and finishing consecutive GT's within 1 calendar year) is too early.

 

[Red Rick]

He is not any 21 year-old, but I think doing a GT double (as in starting and finishing consecutive GT's within 1 calendar year) is too early.

I really don't believe you can't do Giro/Vuelta if you think you can compete for a GT win. That's just some archaic thinking to me ignoring how much cycling has changed. I also don't know where it originally came from to begin with.

 

[roundabout]

I really don't believe you can't do Giro/Vuelta if you think you can compete for a GT win. That's just some archaic thinking to me ignoring how much cycling has changed. I also don't know where it originally came from to begin with.

I wonder who the youngest rider is to have done Giro/Vuelta for GC in the same calendar year (since 1995 obviously). I am guessing probably Quintana in 2014 aged 24?

 

[staubsauger]

I wonder who the youngest rider is to have done Giro/Vuelta for GC in the same calendar year (since 1995 obviously). I am guessing probably Quintana in 2014 aged 24?

Cunego?

It's indeed Cunego. His gc bid only fell apart after a disastrous day up towards La Covatilla!

Celebrated his 23rd birthday during the Sierra Nevada mtt!

 

[Netserk]

I wonder who the youngest rider is to have done Giro/Vuelta for GC in the same calendar year (since 1995 obviously). I am guessing probably Quintana in 2014 aged 24?

Aru was 4 months younger the same year. Almeida was a bit younger than both last year.

I'm unsure if Arensman fits the criteria, but would have a similar GT schedule shifted by just one year.

 

[Red Rick]

Nibali did Giro/Tour at 23.

It's not just about age, because riders mature at wildly different rates. If Ayuso can podium the Vuelta in his first WT year, he can do Giro/Vuelta in his 3rd WT year. Especially Giro/Vuelta should be very doable.

 

[Netserk]

Also a shout out to Betancur in 2013!

 

[theyoungest]

I really don't believe you can't do Giro/Vuelta if you think you can compete for a GT win. That's just some archaic thinking to me ignoring how much cycling has changed. I also don't know where it originally came from to begin with.

Given that Ayuso has seemingly had some problems with the amount of effort and training his body could handle, he's not the first guy I'd think of to attempt a GT double at his age.