Juan Ayuso discussion thread

[Rackham]

Beppe Martinelli going full 2015 Giro and saying they should have stopped Del Toro to pace for Ayuso to increase the gap to Roglic.😂
Meanwhile Gibo says they made the right call because Ayuso isn't a proven gt winner and you don't sacrifice your 2nd option + there was also Bernal up front.

I'm so hyped for the UAE infighting. I always felt like the whole Ayuso Sith villain arc was way, way over-exaggerated (especially during last year's TdF) aka with fans and media really reaching for examples of "issues" between Pog's teammates but I'm so here for some real "Del Toro versus Ayuso" drama.

We need that moment when the pink jersey drops and starts shouting on the radio whilst Ayuso pretends he hasn't seen him drop. It's what cycling fans live for.

 

[noob]

In house UAE rivalry started with Almeida 🤣 Sometimes I think people forget that.

There's also Broe who likes when people act selfishly so he has constantly pointed out how Ayuso absolutely refuses to ride for anyone but himself and how much he likes that 🤣

This goes back way before 2022 Catalunya.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I'm so hyped for the UAE infighting. I always felt like the whole Ayuso Sith villain arc was way, way over-exaggerated (especially during last year's TdF) aka with fans and media really reaching for examples of "issues" between Pog's teammates but I'm so here for some real "Del Toro versus Ayuso" drama.

We need that moment when the pink jersey drops and starts shouting on the radio whilst Ayuso pretends he hasn't seen him drop. It's what cycling fans live for.

Yup, I think it's likely actually. Ayuso is the last person who would settle for playing second fiddle in this situation and he'll surely attack Del Toro. In case of Roglic's attack they will be arguing for an hour who should help who with the Slovenian winning the race in the meantime

 

[Peyroteo94]

I'm loving this. He deserves everything of what is happening. I hope Del Toro find magical legs and wins this Giro.

 

[veganrob]

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.

I don't think so.

 

[Cycling111]

In house UAE rivalry started with Almeida 🤣 Sometimes I think people forget that.

There's also Broe who likes when people act selfishly so he has constantly pointed out how Ayuso absolutely refuses to ride for anyone but himself and how much he likes that 🤣

This goes back way before 2022 Catalunya.

The day Almeida was losing the Volta Catalunya, Ayuso attacked on a descent instead of helping him

 

[Peyroteo94]

Yates is the ultimate troll. See photo number 3 and the face of Yates tell us everything, I doubt he would be this happy about Ayuso.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJzz79JA62U/?img_index=2&igsh=MWd6NTdpZWFrZ2o2NA==

 

[noob]

The day Almeida was losing the Volta Catalunya, Ayuso attacked on a descent instead of helping him

Rather Almeida attacked Ayuso to get his own stage win and Ayuso returned the favour when Almeida got the lead 🤣🤣🤣 Soler did a horrible job trying to Almeida too.

Almeida also had Yates helping him chase Soler last stage in Catalunya 2023 🤣🤣🤣

So I'd say Yates and Almeida are the sneaky ones and they work quite well together themselves against their teammates sans Pog.

There's another stage with Soler on top of a mountain after Remco and Roglic so should be Catalunya 2023. I should find that image as it is hilarious too. 😂

The ultimate in-house rivalry guys imo is Almeida and Yates but Yates seems more willing to be a domestique 🤣 Also I assume the anger with Soler is passed but who knows.

DS also has their favorites just as a teacher has in class. To deny such things is naive imo.

 

[noob]

And in tdf Ayuso said Almeida gestured at him on purpose to make him look bad. So to deny that in house rivalry would be naive.

I think it was also Piper who said he saw no friendship in the peleton, but rather camaraderie.

 

[Cycling111]

And in tdf Ayuso said Almeida gestured at him on purpose to make him look bad. So to deny that in house rivalry would be naive.

I think it was also Piper who said he saw no friendship in the peleton, but rather camaraderie.

Ayuso shirked her job at the TDF, and Almeida made those gestures on purpose.
The only difference is that Almeida worked for Pogacar in the Volta and for Yates in Switzerland. Ayuso never did. But both have been bad teammates more than once.

Neither Almeida nor Ayuso can protest if Del Toro does the same to them.
In the end, everything comes back

 

[greyclouds]

Ayuso shirked her job at the TDF, and Almeida made those gestures on purpose.
The only difference is that Almeida worked for Pogacar in the Volta and for Yates in Switzerland. Ayuso never did. But both have been bad teammates more than once.

Neither Almeida nor Ayuso can protest if Del Toro does the same to them.
In the end, everything comes back

Leaving aside the whole Almeida/Remco Giro '21 novela, when was Almeida a 'bad teammate' to anyone? Certainly not at UAE, at least that I can remember.

There a few comparisons between Del Toro/Ayuso now and Ayuso/Almeida Vuelta '22.

Ayuso was the strongest that Vuelta but also younger/less experienced (it was his first GT at 19) but they were both given free reign to continue doing their own GCs after Ayuso gained time early on (stage 6 Pico Jano), slightly against policy even more than yesterday - by policy I mean the unwritten rule that you don't leave your leader behind for your own GC ambitions.

For the sake of the race and ciclismo I hope that Del Toro is given leader's support, at least until he cracks.

 

[noob]

Leaving aside the whole Almeida/Remco Giro '21 novela, when was Almeida a 'bad teammate' to anyone? Certainly not at UAE, at least that I can remember.

There a few comparisons between Del Toro/Ayuso now and Ayuso/Almeida Vuelta '22.

Ayuso was the strongest that Vuelta but also younger/less experienced (it was his first GT at 19) but they were both given free reign to continue doing their own GCs after Ayuso gained time early on (stage 6 Pico Jano), slightly against policy even more than yesterday - by policy I mean the unwritten rule that you don't leave your leader behind for your own GC ambitions.

For the sake of the race and ciclismo I hope that Del Toro is given leader's support, at least until he cracks.

Ayuso was second in gc in Catalunya. Almeida passed him to take the stage win the next day.

When Soler the Catalan was passing Almeida the last stage almost podium Almeida and Yates chased him down.

So it's up for debate if that's a bad teammate or simply bad leadership from team cars who has too many good riders and can't keep them all happy.

But to say Almeida isn't fueled by in-house rivalry seems to be a lie. When a teammate is up the road he goes, least it's Pogagar. He did let Yates win Suisse though I wouldn't go as far as saying he worked for him. They were even and anyone of them could've won it. Yates even said he asked Almeida if he could have the win at the stage before the last ITT so between those 2 there seems to be no drama.

 

[staubsauger]

Almeida literally found out last summer that cycling is actually a team sport! 😄

 

[CyclistAbi]

Abandoned by the team.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

So far the team has done its job when asked.

 

[noob]

Abandoned by the team.

Nah, just usual UAE stuff

 

[HashRouge]

Abandoned by the team.

Barancini waited, didn't he? It didn't look like it needed anyone else, Ayuso had a really quick bike change.

 

[CyclistAbi]

@HashRouge

Quickly chased down by race leader, no leadout for bonus seconds ... Pogi wouldn't tolerate that.

 

[CyclistAbi]

He compared it to a very similar experience he himself had in the 2009 Tour de France with Lance Armstrong, "At that point there was a break in the peloton, and the surprising thing was that my own team - where, in theory, I was the leader - was collaborating in the front group, opening up a gap and putting time on me.

"It happened to me with Armstrong in 2009" - Alberto Contador analyzes the situation between Ayuso and Del Toro

On stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia 2025, Isaac del Toro launched an attack on the last climb, with the intention of chasing Richard Carapaz. However, no one followed him, and UAE Team Emirates - XRG did...

cyclinguptodate.com

P.S. Happened to Rogla too.

 

[Unchained]

"It happened to me with Armstrong in 2009" - Alberto Contador analyzes the situation between Ayuso and Del Toro

On stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia 2025, Isaac del Toro launched an attack on the last climb, with the intention of chasing Richard Carapaz. However, no one followed him, and UAE Team Emirates - XRG did...

cyclinguptodate.com

P.S. Happened to Rogla too.

Are we just going to go back a few years at a time!? Ok Lemond and Hinault..

 

[Cycling111]

Abandoned by the team.

No. They do the same to Pogacar. Pogacar has to position alone on the flat stages.
On the schelons stage, he was left alone; his seven teammates left him alone , including Ayuso, who didn't help him on any day. And ar the gravel stage in Troyes, only Wellens helped before Pogacar attack. UAE is a disaster at that. Ayuso did the same thing to Pogacar during 14 stages.

 

[AlfaLum]

People looking for drama too much. After 12 stages UAE is in a great position with Del Toro in pink and Ayuso second. They have two other riders still sitting in the top-10.

Mcnulty and Yates havent had to do much work for the team yet, But did some by closing a large part of the gap to Carapaz in stage 11.

Until now Ayuso and del Toro have cooperated quite decently, with the exception of a Del Toro attack in stage 11 which he quickly stopped.

Next week will determine if del Toro will remain to be one of the captains if his level is still high enough in the big mountain stages. If so, Ayuso and Del Toro will likely both be allowed to challenge for the win. Which is only fair.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Teddy is the real DS of the team. If Del Toro was told to slow down because of Ayuso then Matxin and Gianetti will face consequences.

 

[Peyroteo94]

This situation is not similar to Contador and Armstrong. Del Toro is showing to be stronger than Ayuso (at the moment) when Armstrong never showed he was better than Contador.

 

[Rackham]

The route of this Giro so far makes any claim that Del Toro could be stronger than Ayuso a bit fanciful due to the fact we've had hardly any real difficulties. In that respect it really does share a small similarity with the 2009 TdF in the sense the backended nature of that edition meant L.A. could 'pretend' he was in contention versus Contador for longer than his legs eventually showed.

All things being equal and unless Del Toro has suddenly made several massive leaps forward, he'll be in huge trouble starting on Tuesday IMO.

And I suspect the only thing bothering Ayuso right now is his knee. That pointless gravel stage might have amused the spectators but both favorites hit the deck. That's impacting the race right now.