Underdog or not, Ayuso bodly throws his name Into the World championship fight: "I won’t settle for silver"

But no matter how confident he is, Ayuso knows full well that he will not be the top favorite at the World Cycling Championships in Rwanda. “There are several riders who have a better chance,” he tells Eurosport. In any case, he knows who to watch out for: “I expect Remco and Tadej to be right on top of each other.”

The presence of the two top riders certainly does not intimidate him. After the Vuelta a España, where he won two stages, he is still in good shape. “I'm coming to these World Championships with more confidence than I had at the 2024 World Championships,” said the Spaniard, who finished 26th in Zurich. “Back then, it was tough after the Tour de France. I think riding the Vuelta was good preparation for the World Championships.”

After analysis, Ayuso knows when he needs to be alert. “Everything will explode on the final climb, 100 kilometers from the finish,” he says, referring to Mont Kigali. "Waiting is never ideal in a race like this, but I find it hard to believe that Remco and Tadej will attack before that climb. That would be the perfect moment." According to Ayuso, a repeat of last year, when Pogacar attacked 100 kilometers from the finish line, is therefore likely.

Outsider or not, the 23-year-old climber will not settle for anything less than the world title. “I definitely see myself as rainbow jersey material. I'd be lying if I said otherwise—it's a dream. There are many factors, but if I weren't confident in myself, I wouldn't be here. I'm not settling for silver. With the team we have, and the fact that I'm representing Spain, I have to give it my all.”

The preparation was excellent: he recently trained with the rest of the Spanish team, where team building was the goal. “For a World Championship of this difficulty, that always helps.” The only flaw in the preparation was the Vuelta: even though he was physically fine, the circumstances surrounding his departure from the team were less than ideal. "I would have preferred a Vuelta with less stress outside of the race."