Juan Ayuso discussion thread

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I just don't get all the excitement about him. He just continues to disappoint.
That's only because the expectations are so high. He's 22 years old and he has already podiumed a Grand Tour, won two WT- stage races and top 5'd an additional five of those. How many 22 year olds have better results? Has his development continued at as high a speed as it used to? No, probably not, and there's of course a chance that he just doesn't get any better than this, but he's still a, what, top 20 rider in the world?
 
I just don't get all the excitement about him. He just continues to disappoint.
He's still only 22. When Evenepoel turned 22, the biggest win of his career was still San Sebastián in his first pro year. The first few months of that season definitely weren't better than Ayuso's have been - yes, he won Algarve, but his second place in Valencia was in spite of a disappointing eighth on the queen stage and then he bombed horribly at Tirreno. I remember similar talk about him around that time, but it turned out we were only a month away from his maiden Liège win and only five months from his Vuelta win. Not saying Ayuso will have a 2025 like Evenepoel's 2022 but the idea that he certainly won't improve is nonsensical.
 
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He's still only 22. When Evenepoel turned 22, the biggest win of his career was still San Sebastián in his first pro year. The first few months of that season definitely weren't better than Ayuso's have been - yes, he won Algarve, but his second place in Valencia was in spite of a disappointing eighth on the queen stage and then he bombed horribly at Tirreno. I remember similar talk about him around that time, but it turned out we were only a month away from his maiden Liège win and only five months from his Vuelta win. Not saying Ayuso will have a 2025 like Evenepoel's 2022 but the idea that he certainly won't improve is nonsensical.
Ayuso can win the Giro if Rogla crashes out.
 
He's still only 22. When Evenepoel turned 22, the biggest win of his career was still San Sebastián in his first pro year. The first few months of that season definitely weren't better than Ayuso's have been - yes, he won Algarve, but his second place in Valencia was in spite of a disappointing eighth on the queen stage and then he bombed horribly at Tirreno. I remember similar talk about him around that time, but it turned out we were only a month away from his maiden Liège win and only five months from his Vuelta win. Not saying Ayuso will have a 2025 like Evenepoel's 2022 but the idea that he certainly won't improve is nonsensical.
And I hope he does fulfill all the promise that he exhibited. It just seems we have been talking about him for so long and he is not getting there.
 
There's a better chance Rogla crashes out than Ayuso winning.
Isn't that a joint probability as the latter would be quite heavily influenced by the former?

i.e. Roglic crashing out significantly increases the chance of Ayuso winning?

Or are you saying the overall chances of Roglic crashing out are higher than the overall chances Ayuso wins because even with a crash you view it as not very likely.
 
Isn't that a joint probability as the latter would be quite heavily influenced by the former?

i.e. Roglic crashing out significantly increases the chance of Ayuso winning?

Or are you saying the overall chances of Roglic crashing out are higher than the overall chances Ayuso wins because even with a crash you view it as not very likely.
Latter.
 
I still see Roglic as the favorite, although I don't think today's performance is as strategic as some people think. Roglic put his team to work to win and couldn't.
But Ayuso has always been very good in finishes like this; his doubts are in other mountains.
That doesn't clear up my doubts.

I could be wrong because Ayuso is progressing and Roglic has already passed his prime. But until I see confirmation, Roglic is more reliable for Finestre and other stages than Ayuso.

In fact, I don't rule out seeing Del Toro like Froome with Wiggins. I think Del Toro's progress this year is enormous.
Sunday could be the first day Del Toro has to be restrained by UAEs car, like Froome in that Tour and Vingegaard in the 2022 Dauphine. Del Toro is much better on gravel than Ayuso, who has already struggled on the gravel stage of the Tour. Del Toro has often been flying on that asphalt at Strade Bianche.

If Roglic can take anything positive from today, it's that many are already making Ayuso the favorite for a 4 seconds stage. He can put pressure on the UAE to work; they inexplicably did all the work for the UAE today.
Bahrain and Bernal were Ayuso's domestiques. The gap with Ciccone can't be closed by Bernal, but by the team that had two guys.
 
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