'I used to be fairly drained and couldn't assist the workforce a lot' – Juan Ayuso sheds 21 minutes on Vuelta a España Valdezcaray summit end

Following the highs and lows for Juan Ayuso on earlier mountain levels on the Vuelta a España, Sunday’s ninth stage was one other to overlook for the Spanish rider.

Ayuso, who went into the Vuelta as co-leader of UAE Workforce Emirates-XRG, suffered on the highway to Valdezcaray, dropping early on the ultimate climb and dropping over 21 minutes on the end.

Additional up the mountain, UAE’s fundamental GC hope since Ayuso’s demise, João Almeida, shed 24 seconds to fundamental race favorite Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike). With Ayuso clearly unable to help his teammate within the last, some raised questions on his function within the workforce.

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Was he dropping time to focus on future breakaway alternatives when he may as a substitute be serving to Almeida?

Ayuso stated that he had nothing left to offer on the summit end, stating that he would not have been up along with his workforce chief to assist, irrespective of how exhausting he tried.

“I used to be fairly drained and could not assist the workforce a lot. I am not within the battle for the general, so there is not any level in pushing for the sake of pushing,” he advised Marca after the stage.

“I would not have been there. Pushing for 5 extra minutes is mindless.”

Almeida now lies third general, 1:15 off race chief Torstein Træen (Bahrain Victorious) and 38 seconds off second-placed Vingegaard, with nearly half the Vuelta achieved.

UAE have taken three stage victories up to now within the race – the workforce time trial in Figueres, Jay Vine’s breakaway effort in Andorra, and Ayuso’s transfer from the break in Cerler. Almeida, in the meantime, seems to be a favorite for a last podium spot, even when beating Vingegaard will likely be a tall order.

On the identical time, Ayuso might be racing his last Grand Tour for the workforce. Rumours in regards to the 22-year-old’s future have hit the headlines on the Vuelta, regardless of him being beneath contract by means of the 2028 season.

Each La Gazzetta dello Sport and AS have instructed through the Vuelta that Ayuso is in line for a change elsewhere for 2026, with Lidl-Trek linked to his signature.

It stays to be seen whether or not the Tirreno-Adriatico champion will break his contract subsequent season, however up to now, regardless of stage wins at each the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta this 12 months, neither Grand Tour has gone absolutely to plan for him.

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