Bruyneel says Ayuso’s free agent role has gone on long enough: “I hope UAE puts him in a support role now”

Ayuso struck after initiating the day’s breakaway himself. On the final climb, described by Bruyneel as “nasty”, he took control. “To ride that entire climb solo… He gave a lot, and still had enough left in the break. That was impressive. He also didn’t lose much time to the favorites. Of course, there wasn’t really a consistent pace, it was all surging and slowing.”

Just a day earlier, the young Spaniard had completely cracked, but seemed to have bounced back quickly. Still, the Belgian remains skeptical. “We said yesterday he’s not a team player, and I still think he’s not a great teammate. But what do we know? We don’t see what’s happening inside the team. I heard Almeida had a lot of praise for Ayuso after that stage win.”

After losing time in Andorra, Juan Ayuso made it clear he wanted to win a stage. Now that he’s done that, Johan Bruyneel believes it’s time for UAE to give him a new role. “I hope UAE puts him in a support role now, because it’s becoming more and more clear that Almeida is the main challenger to Jonas Vingegaard, alongside Ciccone for now. But he needs riders around him, and Ayuso could be crucial. Not necessarily for the next stages, but for an upcoming mountain-top finish.”

Earlier, Jay Vine had been allowed to go for a stage win. Then it was Ayuso’s turn. Despite this, Almeida hasn’t had much visible support from the team, but it hasn’t caused major issues yet. “UAE doesn’t have to control the race right now,” Bruyneel noted. “That responsibility falls either to red jersey leader Torstein Træen and Bahrain Victorious, or to Visma | Lease a Bike, who clearly accept their role as top favorites. UAE is still operating in a freelancer role.”

So Ayuso’s freedom wasn’t a problem in itself, but Marc Soler’s sudden attack was more questionable. “That was a bad move,” said Bruyneel. “He gained five seconds, so what? What’s the point?” The Belgian argued that the team should have called him back, though ideally that wouldn’t be necessary. “Instructions like that shouldn’t even have to come from the car, he’s experienced enough. Almeida is your leader. Ayuso and Vine were up the road and couldn’t help. So just stay with your leader, man.”  

After the Vuelta, Juan Ayuso will shift his focus to the World Championships in Rwanda, but what comes next remains unclear. Lidl–Trek is rumored to be courting the Spanish talent, despite Ayuso still being under contract with UAE Team Emirates through 2028. Johan Bruyneel, speaking on his podcast, wasn’t hiding his frustration. “First of all: don’t sign for five years! Sign for two, maybe three, but not five. And for the teams, it’s the same: why would you offer a five-year deal when you know agents and managers are circling like sharks?”