Ayuso breaks with Gianetti and UAE culture just before World Championship dream: "I demanded self-criticism and post-race analysis"

We would almost forget that Ayuso will start as a dangerous outsider at the World Championships in Rwanda on Sunday. “I definitely see myself as rainbow jersey material. I would be lying if I said otherwise—it's a dream. There are many factors, but if I weren't convinced of myself, I wouldn't be here. I'm not signing up for silver,” he said earlier this week with determination.

The big interview with Marca was, of course, also about the World Championships. And Ayuso still said eagerly: "If I finish second or third, that's obviously a great result. But you always have to race to win. I'm not starting with the idea of finishing on the podium. I'm starting to win, and then we'll see what happens. The World Championships are the World Championships, the most important race after the three Grand Tours. Who wouldn't want to win that?"

Of course, the World Championships were only briefly discussed because Ayuso mainly had something to explain after a turbulent Vuelta. He won two stages, but more importantly, his relationship with UAE fell apart and his contract was terminated. Ayuso had known this for a long time, but team boss Mauro Gianetti suddenly gave the green light for a press release during the Vuelta. Ayuso reacted fiercely and called UAE ‘a dictatorship’.

But what exactly happened in recent months? “The most important thing for me was that there was no good coordination internally. However, I understand how difficult that is in a team where you have numerous obligations towards many talented riders. But it wasn't one drop that made the bucket overflow; it was drop after drop. Until there was a moment when we said: That's it.”

This meant that Ayuso suddenly had to negotiate with other teams in recent months. "That also took a lot of energy out of me during training. Phone call after phone call, meeting after meeting, it wasn't easy. I hadn't signed before the Vuelta, but I could already see things more clearly, and I felt calmer. But during the Vuelta it was stressful."

When asked where it went wrong, Ayuso didn't have a clear answer. “We had decided together to announce the news after the Vuelta. I would have liked to have done it before the Vuelta, but we didn't want to disrupt the team's mood.” However, UAE announced it on a rest day in the Vuelta. “They wanted to use it to discredit me, as if they were the ones who no longer wanted me.”

But that wasn't the case. “They wanted to put themselves in a better light, but they had no other choice. They lost, and Mauro didn't seem to be able to handle that well. Things went wrong when Gianetti, no matter how hard he tried, couldn't stop me. From that moment on, his attitude changed. I don't regret what I said, even though some of my statements were taken out of context.”

Gianetti is clearly the bad guy for Ayuso. “The negotiation process clearly didn't go the way he wanted. The outside world also doesn't know that in January of this year, I had a proposal for a contract extension until the end of 2030. So Mauro can't have been very unhappy with me. At the beginning of this year, there was an opportunity to reach an agreement, but his intolerant attitude prevented that.”

“My relationship with the other staff members has always been good,” he added. “Just as my relationship with my teammates has always been good. Attempts were made to create drama around me and João Almeida, but we laughed at the table. Everyone understood my situation and helped me deal with it humorously. I want to keep the good memories of UAE alive.”

According to Ayuso, there is little communication at UAE Emirates-XRG. He cited this year's Giro d'Italia as an example. When Isaac Del Toro lost time on day 9 of the Tuscan gravel, Ayuso lost time without his teammates, and it was never discussed again. “That's the problem I had with the team: I demanded self-criticism and analysis after races, but that never happened.”

“At UAE, something is quickly forgotten and no longer discussed, whether it goes well or badly,” said Ayuso. "That bothered me. I believe that being self-critical is beneficial and necessary. As a team, you have to maintain order, analyze what happened, and not let things linger. Because that will always create tension later on. The difference in vision between UAE and Lidl-Trek lies in the philosophy of the team.“

At Lidl-Trek, Ayuso quickly saw ”a clear culture" in the conversations. “Direct, without talking behind your back. That's better. They have a German mentality, and I prefer clear decisions, whether you like them or not. Lidl-Trek's mentality matches mine. It's an ambitious project. It will take time, but it will be noticeable in a few years. I firmly believe in it.”