Ayuso adds his share on and off the bike, earning praise from teammate: "A huge effort"

“It was a special day, given the circumstances,” Ayuso told Eurosport after the finish. “But I'm very happy for Jay with his second stage win; he's a good friend.” Jay Vine won the stage ahead of the GC contenders, giving UAE Team Emirates its fourth stage win in 10 days: a magnificent achievement.

While the 22-year-old Spaniard remains the most discussed man in the Vuelta, this time he was seen at the front of the peloton after team leader João Almeida had made a remark after the ninth stage. “I felt much better, definitely better than the day before the rest day,” Ayuso explains. “They asked me to go for it at the start of the climb. I just set a steady pace, and it went well for us.”

Of course, the climber cannot ignore the fact that his departure has been met with mixed reactions, and he himself has been very vocal about the management of his team. Moving on takes strength and energy. “To be honest, it's difficult. That's why I'm not going for the GC. I've known for two months that I would be leaving, which isn't easy. I'm quite happy that it's been announced, so we can finally close this chapter. Hopefully, I'll be a bit more relaxed next year.”

Before this Vuelta comes to an end, Ayuso wants to be valuable to his team. Almeida wants to win the Vuelta, and his teammate hopes to be part of a team that wins a Grand Tour. “Of course, it would be great. I had to go home when Tadej Pogacar won the Tour (in 2024, ed.), but I would love to be part of the winning team in the Vuelta this time.”  

Mikkel Bjerg is also here to win this Vuelta with Almeida, although the Dane also played a significant role in Jay Vine's stage victory on Tuesday. “The plan was to get Jay into the breakaway, preferably with another rider, so that he wouldn't be isolated so quickly. He was super strong today, so I helped him catch up with the others and did my part until he made his move early on. He had the legs for it.”

“It was great to help Jay, and I also did a turn in the group of favorites for João,” Bjerg continued on Eurosport. “It was great to see Juan put in a huge effort, and then it was my turn. The level is extremely high; I could only keep up with his pace for a short while.” Regarding Ayuso's statement, Bjerg said: “We ride for sporting reasons, and today we showed that we ride as a collective. Everyone contributed, and we won four stages in this Vuelta. Somehow it works, doesn't it?”