Disappointment at Lidl-Trek after Juan Ayuso's poor start: 'I don't know if it was a mental issue'

The relationship between UAE Team Emirates and Ayuso grew increasingly strained over the years. The Spaniard didn’t like being in Tadej Pogacar’s shadow, and tensions reached a boiling point during the Vuelta a España.

A move to Lidl-Trek was supposed to bring success, but things turned out differently: Ayuso finished “only” seventh in the Tour de France.

The 24-year-old climber has already expressed his disappointment after a difficult year, but his teammate Vacek also knows that things need to improve.

“To be honest, I expected more from him,” the Czech rider told Marca. “He started off well, won in the Algarve, and looked promising, but throughout the season I had the feeling that something was missing. He was good, but not at the top level we’d come to expect from him.”

"During the training camp in the Sierra Nevada, he was suffering from allergies, went back home to Andorra, and resumed training, but you could tell something wasn't right," Vacek explains.

The run-up to the Tour was promising, with a strong performance in the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes, his first race in two months following an infection.

La Grande Boucle got off to a promising start , but after the second week, a podium finish slipped out of reach. Ultimately, Lidl-Trek turned the tables, and Mattias Skjelmose (who had initially been riding in a support role) caught up to his team leader and finished sixth.

Vacek is frustrated by Ayuso’s slow start. “When we signed him, I fully expected him to perform as he had in previous years. When he’s in shape, he can keep up with Pogačar and the best, but with riders like this, even the slightest mental lapse or the tiniest missing detail can cause them to lose their confidence and become disoriented.”

For Ayuso, the pressure will really ramp up in 2027. As mentioned earlier, he was already competing with Skjelmose, but Derek Gee-West is also counting on a leadership role at Lidl-Trek. With Felix Gall, another very important name has joined the mix. The Spaniard is under contract with the team through 2030, but if he wants to maintain his status, he’ll have to prove himself next season.