Juan Ayuso discussion thread

[gunara]

Hopefully, he'll be an attacking type so we can have a young Spaniard to properly cheer for again. Giro/Vuelta double in 2023!

I can understand that, Vino attacked in a stage more often than Mas in his entire grand tour career.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Guys, what type of rider is Ayuso? Is he sort of between, lets say, Contador and Valverde? He seems explosive, but I wonder how good his GT level is, his TT etc. Seems to me that UAE has the two biggest stage race talents in the world atm, but then again, I haven't followed Ayuso at all.

In the u23 ranks he rode the high mountain stages like Robo-Basso. Really short accelerations to get an initial gap and then he extended it and crushed everyone by riding tempo.

 

[Valv.Piti]

In the u23 ranks he rode the high mountain stages like Robo-Basso. Really short accelerations to get an initial gap and then he extended it and crushed everyone by riding tempo.

Seems like a clone of Pogacar to me. Haha.
Does he ride the Vuelta this year? I assume no, but next year it should be on the menu and he might pull a Schleck/Ullrich.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Seems like a clone of Pogacar to me. Haha.
Does he ride the Vuelta this year? I assume no, but next year it should be on the menu and he might pull a Schleck/Ullrich.

Yeah, they even have a similar climbing style, but from what I've seen his attacks are shorter than Pogacar's .

 

[Lequack]

The Portuguese are already demanding he be sanctioned for all the wrongs he has done

https://twitter.com/x/status/1507784826052661251

View: https://twitter.com/I_simp_pidcock/status/1507784826052661251

 

[ice&fire]

The Portuguese are already demanding he be sanctioned for all the wrongs he has done

https://twitter.com/x/status/1507784826052661251

View: https://twitter.com/I_simp_pidcock/status/1507784826052661251

He must be rooming with Soler...

 

[Lequack]

He must be rooming with Soler...

Haha you imagine him and Soler plotting all through the night under the bed sheets with a night light.

 

[groogster]

If this was turned out into a circus at Catalunya we need to congratulate UAE DS. I don't blame any of the riders for their bad team performance, only the DS. Especially on stage 6 in which they could catch the break if the DS was clear in the orientations to all the UAE riders before and during the stage. I never saw a team not working to their full extent to the rider that was wearing the leader's jersey in a stage that would define the final GC classification. I don´t believe that a 19 years old youngster dispite all his ambition and potential wouldn't work for Almeida if he was clearly told to by his DS.

 

[johnymax]

His 2022 so far is comparable to Pogi's 2019. The difference being he has yet to take his first victory. Pogi in 2019 won a stage and GC in Algarve and then later in May he won Tour of California. It'll be difficult for Ayuso to match that, because there's no more WT stage races as weak in terms of participants as Tour of California was back then. Maybe his best bet in the near future is Tour de Romandie without Pogi and Rogla on the startlist. Even if he doesn't take a win in the process and he just confirms what good he's done in Catalunya with a solid top 10 (even better a top5) in both Itzulia and Romandie, it'll all be comparable to Pogi's pre Vuelta performances in 2019 IMO.

 

[Big Doopie]

I doubt Ayuso and Pog will be able to cohabitate for much past this year. Seems like Ayuso may have a burgeoning similar skill set.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Good to see Ayuso riding Basque Country next week. I was really impressed how well he did in Catalunya. He was fifth in the final GC, which is really strong for a 19-year-old.

The six days of Basque Country should suit him well. He seems to be healthy, and I bet it was him who decided to race Basque Country. The team itself seems to treat him carefully and without unnecessary pressure.

So for him as a Spanish rider, it‘s great to get to know Catalunya and Basque Country already in 2022. I think a Top-10 or Top-15 result in the final GC of the Tour of the Basque Country would be another nice success for him. Another Top-5 seems rather unrealistic, since the startlist is stronger than in Catalunya, and the stages are ridden even more aggressively…

 

[Landeirovic]

Ayuso, Mcnulty and fisher black are sick.

Dont start in Itzulia... Covi and Ulissi will go in them place.

 

[RunningRouleur]

Horrible news, was quite excited to see another UAE pecking order debacle. Oh, and a teenager winning a stage in the hardest one-week race of the year.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

His 2022 so far is comparable to Pogi's 2019. The difference being he has yet to take his first victory. Pogi in 2019 won a stage and GC in Algarve and then later in May he won Tour of California. It'll be difficult for Ayuso to match that, because there's no more WT stage races as weak in terms of participants as Tour of California was back then. Maybe his best bet in the near future is Tour de Romandie without Pogi and Rogla on the startlist. Even if he doesn't take a win in the process and he just confirms what good he's done in Catalunya with a solid top 10 (even better a top5) in both Itzulia and Romandie, it'll all be comparable to Pogi's pre Vuelta performances in 2019 IMO.

And Ayuso is 1 year younger than Pog in 2019. That being said, Pog's Vuelta that year will be tough to beat for Ayuso (no matter, this year or next).

 

[Ancalagon]

We know that Remco was the best teenager in the 21st Century.
Can Ayuso surpass him ?

Here are Remco's best pro results before turning 20 :

• 1st Clásica San Sebastian
• 1st Belgium Tour
• 1st EC ITT
• 2nd at WC ITT

with a total of 6 pro wins - 1 WT win (Clásica)

Can Ayuso, who turns 20 in mid-september of this year, surpass those achievements and become the best pro teenager of the 21st century ?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

We know that Remco was the best teenager in the 21st Century.
Can Ayuso surpass him ?

Here are Remco's best pro results before turning 20 :

• 1st Clásica San Sebastian
• 1st Belgium Tour
• 1st EC ITT
• 2nd at WC ITT

with a total of 6 pro wins - 1 WT win (Clásica)

Can Ayuso, who turns 20 in mid-september of this year, surpass those achievements and become the best pro teenager of the 21st century ?

Strictly going by age, Ayuso is currently well behind on Evenepoel. At 19 years and 6months and a half (Ayuso's current age) Evenepoel had already achieved all of those wins (except the silver WCC medal). He (Ayuso) does have the advantage that he can use up the full extend of his time left before turning 20. While Evenepoel basically had 5 wasted months (during winter) before turning 20 in which he otherwise might have been able to win extra races. Especially considering he started by winning 2 races in the week after turning 20.

 

[Ancalagon]

In terms of wins I agree with what you said : Remco is ahead of Ayuso. Remco was a great winner right from the start.
But saying Ayuso is "well behind" seems a bit far-fetched to me, considering that Remco, at 19 years and 6 months, had never had a result as impressive (in a stage race) as Ayuso's 5th place in Catalunya.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

In terms of wins I agree with what you said : Remco is ahead of Ayuso. Remco was a great winner right from the start.
But saying Ayuso is "well behind" seems a bit far-fetched to me, considering that Remco, at 19 years and 6 months, had never had a result as impressive (in a stage race) as Ayuso's 5th place in Catalunya.

Ayuso, by virtue of being born in September, has the advantage of having raced a full year after his junior years and do races like Avenir and Baby Giro, before stepping up to full pro level. He then still has a full season to get results before turning 20 in his 2nd season after leaving juniors. If Evenepoel would have done a season to ride Avenir and Baby Giro at U23, he would not have been able to race one day as a pro before turning 20. As such it is only normal for Ayuso to have an advantage in such races.
Furthermore you started listing victories to compare, i was only stating which victories Evenepoel already had at the same age. And in terms of victories Ayuso is indeed well behind, considering 2nd place or 5th place doesn't count. But like i said, Evenepoel did not have the option to keep winning in the last 5 months before turning 20 because the season was over and it was winter.

 

[greyclouds]

Strictly going by age, Ayuso is currently well behind on Evenepoel. At 19 years and 6months and a half (Ayuso's current age) Evenepoel had already achieved all of those wins (except the silver WCC medal). He (Ayuso) does have the advantage that he can use up the full extend of his time left before turning 20. While Evenepoel basically had 5 wasted months (during winter) before turning 20 in which he otherwise might have been able to win extra races. Especially considering he started by winning 2 races in the week after turning 20.

You could make the same argument that Ayuso wasted the last 5 months with the winter break and building up a form since he turned 19... Anyways, we should be celebrating having all this young talent, not making comparisons that are really not possible with such short careers.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Age adjusted comparisons for 19 or 20 yo guys aren't that important. What really matters is comparison by the age of 40 50 (Grandpa Alejandro corrected me).

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

You could make the same argument that Ayuso wasted the last 5 months with the winter break and building up a form since he turned 19... Anyways, we should be celebrating having all this young talent, not making comparisons that are really not possible with such short careers.

No you could not make that argument. Especially with a rider that age, 5 of 6 months can make a big difference. It means his body will be stronger in the last 6 months before turning 20 than in the first 6 months after turning 19. There is also the matter of having had an entire season to get accustomed to a much higher level before entering a nearly full season (he turns 20 september 19th) in which you can focus on results. The transition is therefor a lot easier than coming out of the juniors and having to do everything in one season, on top of not having the opportunity to use the final 6 months of your physical growth before turning 20.

Also note that i wasn't the one who started to compare, i merely made observations.

 

[Lequack]

Doing good in Romandie. 3rd on GC at the moment.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Doing good in Romandie. 3rd on GC at the moment.

According to Velonews the Spanish Pogacar is currently 2nd

 

[tobydawq]

According to Velonews the Spanish Pogacar is currently 2nd

He is 2nd.

 

[Lequack]

I guess I've mistaken my Vlasovs and Ayusos.