Third in 2022 in his first Vuelta a España, at under 20 years old, Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) couldn’t secure another podium in this year’s competition, which was dominated by the Jumbo-Visma trio of Sepp Kuss, Jonas Vingegaard, and Primoz Roglic.
The Spanish rider from UAE Team Emirates had to settle for fourth place in the general classification. Having also missed the goal of a stage win, Juan Ayuso leaves this Vuelta with a bitter taste in his mouth, even though the white jersey for the best young rider is a nice consolation prize, and he feels stronger than last year.
After the 21st stage in Madrid, during the press conference, Ayuso detailed his final placement and his best Young Rider classification.
“Last year was my first Grand Tour, and I finished on the third step of the podium. I wouldn’t say it was unexpected, but it was really significant for me. This year I came with higher ambitions, but it wasn’t possible against a very strong team.”
“It wasn’t possible against a very strong team. However, I think my performance has improved a lot since last year, and I can only be happy about that.”
“Best young rider is a great reward, even though we came aiming for more. We must keep trying to achieve more, to have ambition. It’s not the end of the world if we don’t reach our goals. I won’t cry; I will celebrate and have fun,” concluded Juan Ayuso during the award ceremony.
Watch the full interview: