'Unbelievable' Juan Ayuso has 'big and bright future' after Vuelta podium and should go to Tour, says Adam Blythe

Adam Blythe believes the future is “bright and big” for Juan Ayuso following his third-place finish at La Vuelta – and thinks the 19-year-old must go to the Tour de France next year. Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) produced an impressive showing on his Grand Tour debut to make it onto the podium behind winner Remco Evenepoel and runner-up Enric Mas. Ad He is the youngest rider to finish in the top three at La Vuelta and second youngest to ever make a podium at a Grand Tour after Henri Cornet, who won the Tour de France in 1904.

Vuelta a España‘No consistency’ – Lloyd and Blythe on ‘frustrating’ coronavirus rules after Ayuso saga02/09/2022 AT 14:33 Eurosport expert Blythe is excited by Ayuso’s potential and seeing what he can do when surrounded by the 'A team' at UAE Team Emirates, including two-time Tour champion Tadej Pogacar. “It’s just unbelievable, and he’s going into a team with Joao Almeida, with Tadej Pogacar, with Rafal Majka. If that team goes to the Tour de France that is a proper, proper team." “And it’s not just being in that team with those riders, it’s learning how they do things.

He was ultimately on his own almost in this race. He had Marc Soler off the front, he had Joao Almeida looking at when to attack him, he had his team-mates behind him, he had [Juan Sebastian] Molano flicking his other team-mate to get the stage win on the last day. Evenepoel dreaming of Tour and Giro glory Froome reflects on 'tough race' at La Vuelta “I think he’ll learn so much from being in the ‘A team’ that the future is so big and bright for him.