It's no guarantee that it will stay like this next season. Up until now Ayoso has been the crown prince, being 2nd in line and he got to lead the Pog free Giro. Last year he didnt get to lead a Pog free GT as he did in 2022 and 2023.It seems to me Ayuso gets to lead a GT Pogacar isn't racing every year. Not sure if that's hard coded into their contracts, but if that's the case, I'd feel fine about staying.
Any drama with Del Toro isn't real drama, it's just minor tension and being injured. Again.
Clearly UAE aren't freezing him out of the team. And clearly UAE are still one of the best paying and best performing teams.
I don't see the problem with riding a Pogacar free schedule at all.
It's no guarantee that it will stay like this next season. Up until now Ayoso has been the crown prince, being 2nd in line and he got to lead the Pog free Giro. Last year he didnt get to lead a Pog free GT as he did in 2022 and 2023.
If Pogacar wants to go for Tour-Vuelta double next season, I dont see why it should be obvious that Ayoso once again will get leadership in the Giro. I think Almeida will have a stronger case, and maybe even Del Toro (depending on how this Giro ends). If he drops behind Almeida and Del Toro in the hierarchy, there might not be a good GT chance for him next season if Pog wants 2.
I could totally see a scenario for 2026 where Pog do Tour-Vuelta, Del Toro gets to do the Tour with Pog, Almeida gets Giro leadership and Ayoso at best becomes second leader in the Giro and "only" gets to lead a couple of one week races for the rest of the season. For the next Golden Boy that might not be enough.
Almeida, Ayuso and Del Toro as joint leaders. Soler, McNulty and Vine as domestiques + Ivo and Sebas. I would pay good money to watch this.They should just send exactly the same team to next years Giro because it would be funny, this might be my favourite UAE iteration since Catalunya 2022, maybe include Almeida or of course Mythical Marc for added comedy.
So goodA picture is worth a thousand words etc.
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Not saying you're wrong but if you need everything to go your way to win a GT you're probably destined to win very few of them (or possibly nome). Not getting ill, managing pain, managing bad days, overcoming adversities are all part of the package.Stagnation or no stagnation, he has had impressively bad luck in his GTs. Covid in the 2022 Vuelta, completely messed up season hindering him in the 2023 Vuelta, Covid again in last year's Tour and now a knee injury. That's four from four GTs where he has been prevented from performing at 100%. If he was more likeable (and preferably not on UAE) it would have made him a Landa-esque popular underdog.
Almeida and Soler instead of Yates and Majka.They should just send exactly the same team to next years Giro because it would be funny, this might be my favourite UAE iteration since Catalunya 2022, maybe include Almeida or of course Mythical Marc for added comedy.
I bet the mighty Ayuso will become the stage hunter during the remaining stages of this Giro and won't care about GC for his teammate.If Majka and McNulty finish above, he has no choice but to change teams. I don’t think UAE would give him much besides weak races.
Yes but he is not going to do that. Because his detractors are right...Best thing he could do to shut up his detractors is to stay in the race and help Del Toro win the Giro.
The way Gianetti looks there is quite terrifyingA picture is worth a thousand words etc.
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He'll get a flu virus or something to DNF like last year at the Tour.Gianetti and Maxtin looking like two high ranking members of the politburo glaring ominously over the ramparts of the Kremlin at a young bureaucrat who failed to meet this months wheat quota. I fear for his future.
This! This is why it's so cynical to drum up such young people. They are so darn vulnerable.Not saying you're wrong but if you need everything to go your way to win a GT you're probably destined to win very few of them (or possibly nome). Not getting ill, managing pain, managing bad days, overcoming adversities are all part of the package.
I'm sympathetic toward Ayuso though, he's currently in a tough position being touted as the next big thing, podiuming his first ever GT as a teenager and then never performing at that level again. Must be a nightmare. A change of scenery could probably help him.
0 reason for UAE to let him go, 0 reason for anyone to buy him out at inflated price. I don't see why he wouldn't finish his contract.
I still enjoy hating on him.the hate and Schadenfreude in some corners of the Spanish twitter is wild. shameful, pieces of shyte those people. dear me some Spanish fans are mental
And nothing indicates that the team does not want him.Noone will need to buy Ayuso out of his contract if he is not wanted by the team. This buy out clause is a red herring.
I still enjoy hating on him.
You get those type of fans everywhere, trust methe hate and Schadenfreude in some corners of the Spanish twitter is wild. shameful, pieces of shyte those people. dear me some Spanish fans are mental
In every sector too. Whether sports or pop fans, actor fans, political fans etc etc etc are the same.You get those type of fans everywhere, trust me