'One of my worst performances I can remember' - Ayuso hoping to salvage Itzulia after crash-disrupted build-up
The Lidl–Trek rider admitted a difficult preparation has taken its toll, but insists he is not ready to give up on the race just yet.
Juan Ayuso (Lidl–Trek) has admitted that his time trial on the opening stage of the 2026 Itzulia Basque Country, where he finished 38th, 1:16 down on stage winner Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) was 'one of the worst performances of his career', comparing it to his struggle at the 2022 Vuelta a España, where he had COVID, only this time, he said, he has no excuses.
The Spaniard's build-up to the race has been far from smooth. A crash at Paris–Nice forced him off the bike for around four days, and just as he began ramping up his training again, another fall set him back a second time.
"There's only like three weeks in between, so if you have to stop two times, it's not ideal," said Ayuso to Cyclingpro.net. "But as I say, it's also not an excuse. I hope throughout the week I can keep on improving and my legs can get back."
Despite losing significant time in the opening stage, Ayuso was not ready to write off his GC chances entirely, even if he acknowledged the task ahead is a daunting one, particularly given the form of race leader Paul Seixas, who shot into the leaders' jersey after a thunderous TT effort.
"The time gaps make it really, really hard, and seeing how Paul was yesterday, he's of course a clear favourite," Ayuso said. "But I think it's a really difficult race to control, and any day can change quite fast when everybody's going to try to attack."
Asked about the young Frenchman, Ayuso, pointed to Seixas' performance at Strade Bianche, where he finished second behind the eventual winner after being the 'last man standing' following the wheel of the Slovenian as proof of his credentials. "He was the last guy to put up a fight against Tadej, and that says a lot."
Ayuso believes, however, that Seixas will not have things all his own way this week. The mountainous parcours of the Basque Country suits aggressive racing, and he expects every team to play their cards.
"He has a nice advantage, but it's a course that really suits attacking. I think he's going to be put under pressure this week."
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