The ego isn't the biggest problem for Ayuso, his performances in GT's are.
If he is able to consistently deliver top GT results, like, let's say, Carapaz on top of the top notch 1 week-ers, I think they will be perfectly happy with him, I guess. Besides, if Mads Pedersen fully gives up on the bunch sprints, they won't have a problem to co-exist.
Plus, I kinda think that the whole ego thing got a bit overblown in UAE. He is probably not the Sepp Kuss type of team mate, but don't think he'll have problems working for a team mate if he doesn't have chances for the GC.
In Lidl-Trek it worked so well because they didn't have strong GT rider (Ciccone isn't in my opinion).
If Ayuso really turns out to be the Ciccone type in the GTs, I think he'll help the team as much as the team helps him.
There are lots of things that Juan Ayuso has done right and wrong ,but the portrayal of his ego is completely the responsibility of UAE,
Young, green Ayuso should have never, ever, ever been put in the position to explain the pecking order at UAE as things appeared top heavy, Almedia, Pogacar and Juan's responsibilities should have had a well defined chain of command, well before Ayuso crashed and suddenly, Isaac Del Toro presented another leadership option for big races.
The riders were logically asked.. Are you the leader? Have you been displaced by a flying Del Toro?..
All of that should have been laid out by management, not dealt with through mostly polite infighting.. Absolutely ridiculous that Del Toro was asked day after day if he was replacing Ayuso, which Isaac answered from the heart, Juan is the leader until further notice.
Idiotic management had Del Toro's words and actions making no sense. Ayuso uneventfuly dropped out and team never had the huevos to just state the obvious, created a short lived mini drama, that hurt everyone.
Juan Ayuso was treated very, very disrespectfully in a hands off, backs turned away.
Isaac was taking over race leadership role but UAE let it unfold over a few days, until everything was obvious, and Juan succumbed..
Disgusting, it crushed his place in the team.. UAE was gutless the way they treated him. Hopefully a teaching point for all..
Tadej Pogacar is treated one way.. everyone else can find themselves in a circular firing squad.. terrible circumstances that never needed to happen. In my opinion, UAE vibed Ayuso out of the team, not so subtle brow beating him out of favor, it could have been worse, but not much.
Do I think Ayuso handled it the best? No..but who would have.
There is a scene in zany comedy movie Talladega Nights, when the main character, Ricky Bobby, played perfectly by Will Ferrell comes home to discover his best friend to have taken over his wife, children, family and house.. Juan Ayuso played the same role almost as good.. Del Toro playing Cal..the " best friend "
Maybe ego played a part but Ayuso was publicly trashed by UAE and they left him hanging..
Maybe instead of comedy, Tom Brady, Drew Bledsoe dynamic.. One guy gets hurt, another guy takes over, nobody looks back.
Juan' s misfortune launched Isaac into stardom
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