{"id":447394,"date":"2026-02-26T22:10:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T22:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/447394\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T22:10:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T22:10:12","slug":"with-another-team-i-would-have-lost-the-volta-ao-algarve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/447394\/","title":{"rendered":"With another team I would have lost the Volta ao Algarve"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

In these first months, the change of setup has exceeded his expectations, especially on the human side. \u201cAbove all, I\u2019ll take the people. Plus, Lidl-Trek is starting to make a significant investment to add more resources: a kitchen truck, recovery tools\u2026 Not all those upgrades have arrived yet, but everything points to a very positive outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ayuso insists he doesn\u2019t miss a thing: \u201cAs a structure, I lack nothing; I even have more resources at my disposal than I had before. But if I have to choose one thing, I choose the people, because they make me feel very comfortable and they\u2019re top professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n

He cites the aerodynamic work as an example: \u201cFor instance, in the wind tunnel we\u2019ve improved my time trial position again, something that, in my view, was hard to refine and I preferred not to touch; however, thanks to them I\u2019ve taken another step forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Juan<\/p>\n

Juan Ayuso, Lidl-Trek star<\/p>\n

The strength of the unit<\/p>\n

The victory in the Algarve strengthens his conviction about the leap he has made. \u201cWith another team I would have lost the Volta ao Algarve,\u201d he says bluntly.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead to Paris\u2013Nice, the Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphin\u00e9 and the Tour de France, he stresses the importance of the team time trial: \u201cNow come Paris\u2013Nice, the Dauphin\u00e9 and the Tour \u2014 all three with team time trials \u2014 and we\u2019re bringing a lineup that, if not a clear favorite to win, will be highly competitive. Seeing the Paris\u2013Nice route, the TTT could decide 70% of the GC, and with the squad we\u2019re fielding, our collective strength will put us right up there. I\u2019m very happy to be part of a group that will make the rest of the stages much easier for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

A step forward in 2026<\/p>\n

Individually, he identifies a clear improvement against the clock. \u201cIn the time trial I\u2019ve taken another step forward thanks to a small position change and the new equipment \u2014 the new helmet really suits me.\u201d In other areas, he stays on the same trajectory: \u201cIn the rest, as always, trying to improve in everything and polishing the details. That said, there\u2019s less mystery there than people might think.\u201d<\/p>\n

New rivals on the horizon<\/p>\n

Among the names to watch is Paul Seixas. Ayuso has no doubts about his trajectory: \u201cSeixas is going to be a rider who will soon be contesting the Grand Tours; if not this year, then next. One more rival to fight with.\u201d<\/p>\n

And he points to the current context of the peloton: \u201cWe\u2019re already used to facing riders who are defining an era: Tadej, Remco, Vingegaard\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Role models and ambition<\/p>\n

Comparisons with Alejandro Valverde and Alberto Contador also surface in his analysis. \u201cI\u2019d be happy to resemble either of them. I think cycling is changing and the rider profile you need to win a Grand Tour is different from ten years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

If he has to choose, he\u2019s clear: \u201cIf I had to pick, I see myself more in Valverde, because I have that sprint that lets me win. However, what Alberto achieved in the high mountains is also essential to succeed in today\u2019s cycling. I\u2019ll sign for a mix of the two,” he joked.<\/p>\n

A clear wish<\/p>\n

For the rest of the year, his goal is specific: \u201cMy wish is for everything to continue as it has so far: keep improving, avoid setbacks, and see how far my level can go without the hiccups I\u2019ve had in recent years.\u201d<\/p>\n

The main target will be his Tour debut: \u201cI\u2019ll try to deliver a good Tour, since it will be the first I race. May luck be on our side and may my level determine the result.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In these first months, the change of setup has exceeded his expectations, especially on the human side.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":447395,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4985,53652,109119,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-447394","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-cycling","9":"tag-juan-ayuso","10":"tag-lidl-trek","11":"tag-sports","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom","14":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=447394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/447395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=447394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=447394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=447394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}