Before the mountain stage to Angliru, Juan Ayuso and Enric Mas were considered the main rivals of the Jumbo-Visma trio. However, this perception didn’t hold true during the grueling ascent. The Spanish cyclist faced difficulties and finished the race in ninth place.
The pace of the peloton significantly increased at the start of the final climb. Bahrain Victorious noticed the struggle of their competitors and accelerated impressively. Juan Ayuso fell victim to this five kilometers from the finish. “I didn’t feel good during the climb, but it is what it is. It’s a climb that doesn’t leave room for recovery, and it felt like it would go on forever.”
The Spaniard lost valuable time at the finish, jeopardizing his fourth place in the general classification. Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) is now only sixteen seconds behind him. “We’re already in the third week, but you never know when one of your rivals might have a bad day. I will try to fight for my place in the general classification and I’ll still go for a stage win.”
