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Sure, but this doesn’t come from a single journalist, and has been repeated a couple of times already
- Jul 7, 2013
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If that's the case then Ayuso was an idiot to even take part in 2024 Tour knowing it'll be all in for Tadej (instead of choosing another GT with guaranteed leadership). Then again, I'm not necessarily buying this guarantee in contract rumours. He himself said in 2024 that Tadej was the Tour leader.
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..
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.
- Jul 24, 2025
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Whether or not he had a clause in his contract is irrelevant, all this discussion about it is beyond me. He was assigned to the Tour 2024 team as a domestique. End of story. He must follow the instructions of his team leadership, else, he has no place in that team, as it ended up happening.
Calling Pogacar’s leadership a dictatorship is completely ridiculous, it’s pure nonsense from the haters.
Calling Pogacar’s leadership a dictatorship is completely ridiculous, it’s pure nonsense from the haters.
That's not true. Matxin gave an interview before that Tour and said that Ayuso was the one who asked to go to the Tour and that he (Matxin) told him the condition for taking him was that he accept Pogacar as the leader and that Ayuso should be domestique.
That was said by Matxin, who was Ayuso's biggest supporter, so there's no question that Ayuso wasn't promised a co-leadership of the Tour.
It was Ayuso who distanced herself by making other statements, and Matxin had to explain again that no, they were going with a single leader and that the condition they set for Ayuso and Almeida was to accept that.
So, It was Ayuso who asked to go to the Tour and the management told him he wouldn't be the leader.
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I dont think he was "promised" anything.
Ayuso wanted to be a part of the Tour team going into 2024. He wanted to ride the Tour. He got that, but most likely told under which premises and that the team still comes first. He must have surely agreed to that or he wouldnt be there, unless he had other motives and just said what everybody wanted to hear from him so he could go.
It feels evidently clear by the reactions from his teammates, that Ayuso did something he wasnt supposed to do. Leading them to be upset with him and them not trusting him anymore. Creating bad vibes within the team in the middle of a GT.
Indeed, they never promised him a co-leadership in that Tour, or any other race with Pogacar.
Matxin:
"His teammates know perfectly well that Tadej Pogacar is the number one in the world; you only have to read the interviews with Almeida and Yates after their various victories in Switzerland. I think it's a very close-knit team. And above all, when I talk to riders about coming here, I'm very clear from the start. Guys like Adam Yates, like Sivakov, like Wellens and Politt, know they'll have their space, but when Tadej is there, we race for him. These are the conditions we set even before signing the contract. I'm not the one who makes them sign, but I only have one word, and that has to be respected. When Almeida and Ayuso asked me to come to the Tour, I told them it was fine, but that we would race with the idea of a single leader, and nothing would be done differently from what we had decided," he concluded.
Are there still doubts? Ayuso was never promised to be a co-leader on that tour.
These are the conditions we set even before signing the contract.
@Berniece
He knew who he was ahead him and that he wouldn't be a co-leader with him. We're not talking about a first contract without knowing what's involved; it was his responsibility to extend it with those conditions. And if he did, it's because he didn't see such mistreatment by the team.
Ayuso's problem is that he had a worse season than Almeida and Del Toro, not the supposed dictatorship of Pogacar under which he wanted to renew his contract.
You always ask for quotes. I've quoted what Matxin said about the contracts and the 2024 Tour.
It would be good if you cited where it says Ayuso would be a co-leader or that his contract included those other conditions.
Isola 2000, con Matxin nei giorni di Pogacar in altura - bici.PRO
Dopo il Giro di Svizzera e il Giro Next Gen, Matxin ha raggiunto Pogacar e il gruppo Tour a Isola 2000, fra allenamenti, scherzi e corse viste in tv
bici.pro
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Assuming you responding to someone else with the quotes thingIndeed, they never promised him a co-leadership in that Tour, or any other race with Pogacar.
Matxin:
"His teammates know perfectly well that Tadej Pogacar is the number one in the world; you only have to read the interviews with Almeida and Yates after their various victories in Switzerland. I think it's a very close-knit team. And above all, when I talk to riders about coming here, I'm very clear from the start. Guys like Adam Yates, like Sivakov, like Wellens and Politt, know they'll have their space, but when Tadej is there, we race for him. These are the conditions we set even before signing the contract. I'm not the one who makes them sign, but I only have one word, and that has to be respected. When Almeida and Ayuso asked me to come to the Tour, I told them it was fine, but that we would race with the idea of a single leader, and nothing would be done differently from what we had decided," he concluded.
Are there still doubts? Ayuso was never promised to be a co-leader on that tour.
These are the conditions we set even before signing the contract.
He knew who he was ahead him and that he wouldn't be a co-leader with him. We're not talking about a first contract without knowing what's involved; it was his responsibility to extend it with those conditions. And if he did, it's because he didn't see such mistreatment by the team.
Ayuso's problem is that he had a worse season than Almeida and Del Toro, not the supposed dictatorship of Pogacar under which he wanted to renew his contract.
You always ask for quotes. I've quoted what Matxin said about the contracts and the 2024 Tour.
It would be good if you cited where it says Ayuso would be a co-leader or that his contract included those other conditions.
Isola 2000, con Matxin nei giorni di Pogacar in altura - bici.PRO
Dopo il Giro di Svizzera e il Giro Next Gen, Matxin ha raggiunto Pogacar e il gruppo Tour a Isola 2000, fra allenamenti, scherzi e corse viste in tv
The quotes thing are Matxin's words; it was to give continuity to your message and confirm that they had not promised him anything.
The last part was for Berniece because of what he said about the contract terms.
Edit and quoted him.
Talk about co-leadership is completely insane. If Ayuso thought about it, expected it, or hoped for it, he was delusional. And if we haven’t seen the exact wording in the contract (I am sure there was something in the small print), claims about contractual promises are pointless.
Having said that, I actually do not see huge drama here. It is not the first or the last time when teams are stacked and some riders go elsewhere to find better options. Totally fine.
Having said that, I actually do not see huge drama here. It is not the first or the last time when teams are stacked and some riders go elsewhere to find better options. Totally fine.
Considering all the debates and opinions and now especially results, Juan made the correct decision. So there is that.
- Aug 13, 2011
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Ayuso was doing very well for himself in the beginning of the seasons with UAE so this is nothing new. What will be new is his Tour performance and if he gets mad at the team for bringing Pedersen.
He was at the lower end of pecking order at UAE and a scapegoat and at Lidl-Trek he is a leader and winning races, beating UAE at it. So ultimately he was correct at pointing that out. Likely earns more too.
I don't know why some people have so many problems in admitting when they are wrong. In the TdF, Ayuso was clearly wrong, end of story.Indeed, they never promised him a co-leadership in that Tour, or any other race with Pogacar.
Matxin:
"His teammates know perfectly well that Tadej Pogacar is the number one in the world; you only have to read the interviews with Almeida and Yates after their various victories in Switzerland. I think it's a very close-knit team. And above all, when I talk to riders about coming here, I'm very clear from the start. Guys like Adam Yates, like Sivakov, like Wellens and Politt, know they'll have their space, but when Tadej is there, we race for him. These are the conditions we set even before signing the contract. I'm not the one who makes them sign, but I only have one word, and that has to be respected. When Almeida and Ayuso asked me to come to the Tour, I told them it was fine, but that we would race with the idea of a single leader, and nothing would be done differently from what we had decided," he concluded.
Are there still doubts? Ayuso was never promised to be a co-leader on that tour.
These are the conditions we set even before signing the contract.
@Berniece
He knew who he was ahead him and that he wouldn't be a co-leader with him. We're not talking about a first contract without knowing what's involved; it was his responsibility to extend it with those conditions. And if he did, it's because he didn't see such mistreatment by the team.
Ayuso's problem is that he had a worse season than Almeida and Del Toro, not the supposed dictatorship of Pogacar under which he wanted to renew his contract.
You always ask for quotes. I've quoted what Matxin said about the contracts and the 2024 Tour.
It would be good if you cited where it says Ayuso would be a co-leader or that his contract included those other conditions.
Isola 2000, con Matxin nei giorni di Pogacar in altura - bici.PRO
Dopo il Giro di Svizzera e il Giro Next Gen, Matxin ha raggiunto Pogacar e il gruppo Tour a Isola 2000, fra allenamenti, scherzi e corse viste in tv
- Aug 13, 2011
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Ayuso was literally leader or did his own thing in almost every race he rode. Only exception was when Pogacar was present. For years Ayuso was number two of the team and got to pretty much pick his own schedule. Yes, he’s still performing per his usual in the beginning of the season like previously. The only way we’ll see if he made the right choice is by the end of the Tour.
Per reports he does make around $700-800k more.
Ayuso was never second in command at UAE. He came behind Pogi and Almeida and after even del Toro. He would never be leader at UAE.
P.S. As for your question about Pedersen above, if he will be fit then he is likely one of a few "sprinters" that can actually do some support work for their GC leader at the Tour.
- Aug 13, 2011
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Must be the same universe as Quickstep bringing Merlier and Evenepoel to the Tour a bad idea or Bora taking to the Tour; Roglic, Evenepoel, Lipo, Vlasov, Hindley, Pellizari, and two other climbers.
Pedersen absolutely is, but something will most likely happen (or with Ciccone/Milan in a different race) when the team is supporting them and not Ayuso. Then we shall see if it was Ayuso or UAE being the major problem.
Dunno how big problem Ayuso or UAE both are anyways. It's normal dynamic problems from both point of views. When team is stacked, it's complicated. Just imagine throwing Seixas to UAE 3-4 years ago and put him 'on hold' to work for Pogi or Ayuso. Same problems I guess. Gets frustrated and whatever.
Nah, Pedersen is different type of rider, more similar to van Aert if any. And besides his teammates are already complaining, he is pushing too much watts uphill to follow comfortably. Coming back from injury. As for RBH preliminary PCS start list, look at the names there and you will see taking a climbers orientated team is still a possibility. Ciccone IMHO doesn't represent any issue to Ayuso, they have different goals. There was some media induced friction in regards to Ayuso and Skjelmose and as you could read after that was settled and both are now enlisted for the Tour. Plus Lidl-Trek has real depth, when it comes to climbing support. Not as good as RBH in terms of individual quality but if Lidl-Trek succeeds in building a homogenous team and RBH does not, then all that individual quality wont' mean much for RBH.
Pogi, Almeida and after del Toro, then it was Ayuso. As for UAE it will be interesting to see on how they will manage the appetite of del Toro. I mean at some point del Toro will make a move, it's only natural plus he was always encouraged to do so, contrary to the Ayuso.
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