After the noise, Juan Ayuso knows he must deliver at Lidl-Trek

Earlier this year, Juan Ayuso realised that life as a galactico has its limitations when the cosmos is centred around Tadej Pogačar’s all-consuming star. The world champion has been the central gravitational force at UAE Team Emirates-XRG since he turned professional in 2019, and there is no sign of that changing this side of the Los Angeles Olympics.

Ayuso’s unhappiness with his place in the UAE firmament was already apparent on last year’s Tour de France, where he was publicly admonished for a seemingly unenthusiastic showing on Pogačar’s behalf on the Col du Galibier. 

As 2025 progressed, it became increasingly clear that Ayuso would prefer to reign elsewhere than serve others at UAE. The process accelerated rapidly following events at the Giro d’Italia, where Ayuso began among the favourites but soon found himself superseded by Isaac del Toro.

If waiting behind Pogačar was already an annoyance, then slipping to second – or third, given João Almeida’s excellent season – in the line of succession was more than Ayuso’s burning ambition could bear. When news filtered through that Ayuso had hired Giovanni Lombardi as his agent, it was clear that an exit strategy was being devised.

The Ayuso saga was the soap opera of the summer, at least once Remco Evenepoel's move was wrapped up swiftly and diplomatically. The telenovela reached a remarkable denouement at the Vuelta a España, when UAE unexpectedly announced his departure during the first rest day, with the rider responding by likening the team’s management to a “dictatorship.”

Ultimately, however, Ayuso got exactly what he wanted. He was free to leave UAE without having to pay the reported €100 million buyout clause, and he has now landed at one of the best-resourced teams in the peloton, Lidl-Trek.

Daniel Benson reports that Astana, Ineos, and Movistar were also notionally in the Ayuso sweepstakes, but the only formal offer came from Lidl-Trek. They quickly reached a three-party agreement with UAE – for far less than the touted €100 million, per Daniel Benson – and on Thursday, Lidl-Trek announced that Ayuso has signed a five-year contract with the team.

It’s a deal that makes ample sense for all parties. For UAE, Ayuso’s position was becoming increasingly untenable, as demonstrated by an eyebrow-raising Vuelta where two stage wins were interspersed with questionable commitment to Almeida’s cause, at least until the third week.

For Lidl-Trek, Ayuso offers them the kind of Grand Tour leader their structure has been crying out for. Tao Geoghegan Hart, understandably, has not yet regained the level he reached before his horrific crash on the 2023 Giro d’Italia, while Mattias Skjelmose has potential but doesn’t yet seem certain of his own Grand Tour ceiling, and Giulio Ciccone has all but conceded that three-week racing is not his forte.

The sparks that flew between Ayuso and UAE these past two years shouldn’t distract from the fact that the Spaniard remains one of the peloton’s outstanding talents. In 2022, he placed on the podium of the Vuelta at just 19 years of age. Amid all the polemics and speculation this year, he has still claimed eight wins in 2025, six of them at WorldTour level, and he now lines up as one of Pogačar’s chief rivals in the World Championships road race.

For Ayuso himself, meanwhile, the perks of the deal are obvious. At UAE, Pogačar naturally had first choice on his programme of Grand Tours and stage races, while for 2026, it was clear that both Almeida and Del Toro would also be vying with Ayuso for space in the schedule.

There should be no such conflict at Lidl-Trek, where Ayuso will immediately sit atop their depth chart of Grand Tour contenders. The only question will be whether Ayuso and his team want to head straight for the Tour de France and a clash with Pogačar, or whether they would prefer to target winning the Giro.

And that’s the flipside of the move for Ayuso. There are no more impediments, and therefore no more excuses. The supporting cast won't be as strong as UAE's - no other squad can match the depth of the roster with 86 wins and counting this year - but it's not to be underestimated either. Lidl-Trek have long been a smart recruiter, and riders like Julien Bernard, Mathias Vacek and Toms Skujins would offer redoubtable backing.

At Lidl-Trek, Ayuso is neither the back-up plan nor a man for the future, but rather the marquee name of the team’s present. True, Mads Pedersen is still on hand to lead the line in the Classics, but Ayuso has been signed to give Lidl-Trek a top-tier stage racing presence that they have sorely lacked, given the resources at their disposal. 

The pressure on Ayuso will only increase at Lidl-Trek, but he knew that when he signed on the dotted line. After all the talk and speculation, all the promise and potential, it’s time for Ayuso to deliver. It promises to be one of the most compelling narratives of 2026.