Sorry, but Ayuso is not a victim and shares responsibility for this situation.
In 2024 Tour, the hierarchy was clearly defined, and he made statements before the Tour and in the race he didn't respect the team and the hierarchy.
Besides, he can't complain; he's been leading races since he was 19. Del Toro worked morr for him in 2024 season than Ayuso's ever done for a Tour de France winner on the same team.
Remember also that Almeida is losing Catalunya and Ayuso has been attacking.
There have been several instances of disrespect shown to the hierarchy by someone who has been supported for years.
Let's also remember that, despite his statements at last years Vuelta , Jay Vine helped him win a stage.
This bullying narrative doesn't hold.
I hardly think UAE management, not managing makes Juan Ayuso or Del Toro victims. And I also don't get any reference about bullying, if being completely ignored is bullying, then certainly Juan Ayuso was bullied. I think just dismissing his condition and then management going radio silent, suddenly not having answers or comments, was surely special circumstances, UAE usually has elaborate plans for everything, everyone. Juan was given a clear signal, sit down, shut up, follow orders to the letter or else . Once immature Ayuso went into a mode of physically and verbally showing his discontent he was sunk. Leader, leadership at a bizarre situation at the Giro should have been made clear by UAE management, not a couple of 21 year old that just kept looking at each other trying to figure out how to answer questions without insulting one another.
Maybe another thing about UAE damage control is being revealed by Soler saga, has UAE been told that it will blow over..or are they just ignoring possible personnel hand grenade , waiting for a damaging blow from Soler family misdeeds. It does not seem that they are too worried about it.
Video is available during the dead zone of the race, Del Toro being asked if he was the leader, if he was taking over for Juan Ayuso, first absolute no, second time a not so definitive no..3 time, suddenly UAE director sitting with Del Toro, I guess so they could keep the story straight. And at some point Del Toro was given the go ahead about saying publicly what he had already been told in private and what was fairly obvious, UAE had moved on from Ayuso..
View: https://m.youtube.com/shorts/cxlzXyTlgHg
Pretty uneventful.. It's just my opinion I think UAE treated Juan Ayuso like a piece of sh##. I have reasons for thinking that..and others have reasons to think I am wrong. I completely accept that. The label of victim is pretty dramatic, just people behaving badly in my opinion. There doesn't have to be a victim, seldom that black and white.