Florian Vermeersch’s blunt verdict on Juan Ayuso - ‘He is definitely not a team player’
Juan Ayuso’s exit from UAE Team Emirates XRG was never going to be quiet, but the story has continued to gather edges even after the decision was made. Florian Vermeersch is the latest to add one, offering an unfiltered view of Ayuso’s approach behind the scenes, and drawing a sharp contrast with the culture set by Tadej Pogacar.
Speaking to Bahamontes, Vermeersch was careful to stress that his judgement is not rooted in a long personal history. In fact, he barely knows Ayuso at all. But the impression left during their limited contact proved lasting.
“Ayuso is certainly not my best friend, but I don't know him well either. I did one training camp with him, and he rode twenty metres ahead of the group the whole time,” Vermeersch said. “So he's definitely not a team player”.
Those words land against the backdrop of Ayuso’s increasingly strained relationship with UAE Team Emirates-XRG. What began as an obvious match between a generational talent and the sport’s most powerful structure slowly lost coherence. At the 2024 Tour de France, Ayuso’s role never fully settled. Illness and withdrawal only deepened the sense of misalignment. This season’s Giro offered a clearer leadership opportunity, but a crash derailed that plan too.
That misalignment finally spilled into the open during this year’s Vuelta a España. What had simmered quietly behind closed doors turned into a public rupture, with Ayuso openly criticising the way his departure was handled by the team and even calling the management by the team 'a dictatorship'.
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Vermeersch sharpened his criticism by contrasting Ayuso with Tadej Pogacar, the rider who defines UAE’s culture. “He's also a super chill guy and an incredible team player. That's how I got to know him right away when we went out with the riders for a few evenings on our own during the first team days in Abu Dhabi last year. He loves to foster a sense of community.”
For Vermeersch, the difference is not about ability, but about reciprocity, and he frames that critique squarely around Ayuso. “I hear he's good for his teammates when they're riding for him and everything's going well, but when he's bad himself or when he has to return the favor, like in the Giro, things often go wrong,” he believes.
“We'll definitely miss a few victories without him, because he is and remains a world-class rider. But we'll miss him less for the team atmosphere.”
