'It's is an advantage' - Almeida and Ayuso present united front before Vuelta

Juan Ayuso and João Almeida presented a united front when they met the press on Thursday ahead of the start of the Vuelta a España in Turin. The pair have not raced together all season, but they will set out at this Vuelta as co-leaders of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG team.

They last lined out together at the 2023 Tour de France, where Almeida remonstrated with Ayuso over his apparent unwillingness to take his turn working for Tadej Pogacar on the Col du Galibier. In Turin on Thursday, both men downplayed any idea that they couldn’t dovetail their efforts here.

“I think this is the first year we haven’t raced together, but in 2022 or 2023 I did nearly every race with João,” said Ayuso, who was a relatively late addition to UAE’s Vuelta plans after Pogacar opted against racing a second Grand Tour this season.

“I was preparing for the Worlds, and going pretty slowly, step by step, until I got the call to come here. Then everything had to be a bit accelerated. I found out more or less when the Tour finished.”

Ayuso won Tirreno-Adriatico earlier this year and he began the Giro d’Italia as one of the favourites, but his race was compromised by a crash with Isaac del Toro taking over as UAE leader. An allergic reaction to a bee sting in the final week forced Ayuso to abandon.

“On one side, it’s a big motivation because the Giro didn’t go well. But this is also the first Grand Tour where I haven’t prepared specifically, so doubling up is a different feeling,” Ayuso said. “It’s been a different preparation to what I’d have done normally, I haven’t raced much. We’ll just see day by day how I go. If I can’t go for the GC, then I’ll help João if he’s good.”

Both Almeida and Ayuso acknowledged that Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) is the favourite for overall victory, but the Portuguese rider expressed hope that having two options could play to their advantage.

“Of course he’s clearly the favourite, he won the Tour twice and he’s one of the strongest riders of this generation – but we’re also pretty strong,” Almeida said. “Having two cards to play is an advantage. We have to do the best we can and see day by day how it goes.”

Asked how he and Ayuso would combine their efforts to beat Vingegaard, Almeida said: “I think it’s all about legs. If I have strong legs, then it’s easier to go day by day.”

Ayuso, for his part, smilingly pointed out that sports manager Matxin Joxean Fernandez had yet to deliver his pre-race briefing.

“To be honest, we haven’t had the meeting with Maxtin,” Ayuso said. “He only arrived this morning, so we don’t know.”

Almeida arrives at the Vuelta after a season that has seen him win Itzulia Basque Country, the Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse, though his Tour de France was ended prematurely by a heavy crash on stage 7. He has not raced since he abandoned the Tour two days later.”

“Let’s find out how I am,” Almeida said. “Personally, I feel good on the bike. I had a week of low-intensity training, where it was slow steps, and then I had two and a half weeks of proper training. I think I’m ready. I feel good, we’ll see day by day.”

Earlier on Thursday, Vingegaard signalled that he would not ride the World Championships in Rwanda after the Vuelta. Ayuso confirmed that still intended to ride the road race, but his mooted outing in the time trial was now in doubt.

“It will all depend on my state of form after the Vuelta,” he said. “If I do GC here, I’ll be tired going to the Worlds. If I don’t, then I’ll be more rested and the time trial could be a possibility.”