Juan Ayuso has given his first interview at Lidl-Trek. The 23-year-old Spaniard shared his initial impressions of the German WorldTeam with the media in Spain and revealed his program for the upcoming year. Ayuso aims to close the gap with Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, and Remco Evenepoel in the coming years and already thanks his new team for the opportunity. "The drive to win the Tour de France is there, I get up for it every day," he told WielerFlits, among others.
Ayuso began his press conference in Spain on Friday with a statement about UAE Emirates XRG. The Spaniard wanted to thank his former team for the 'formative' years and corrected the remarks he made about UAE during this year’s Vuelta. "What happened in September and afterward happened under pressure and with a lot of tension. The words I said then do not reflect my true feelings about the team." He continued: "At this press conference, I will not answer any more questions about UAE. I will stick to this statement."
Juan, how is life at Lidl-Trek?
"It’s much better here (laughter in the room, editor). No, really. I’m very happy to be at this team. It took a long time to get here, and now I immediately notice how open this team is in welcoming me. I already feel at home here, and I believe the team is also very happy to have me on board.
We’ve already had a team-building camp in Germany, and the last few days have been very intense. Now it’s time to work hard and truly focus on the new season. Luckily, I managed to train well today. I’m looking forward to racing again."
Can you share some details about your program for next year?
"Yes, I’ll start with a training camp at altitude on the Teide and then kick off my season in the Algarve. After the Algarve, I will race Paris-Nice, the Tour of the Basque Country, the Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the Dauphiné. After the Tour, we’ll see what comes next, but the road to the Tour is now completely clear to me."
There were many rumors about your new team in recent months; can you explain why you chose Lidl-Trek and not, for example, Movistar?
"As a Spaniard, it’s always normal to be linked to Movistar. That’s, of course, also about marketing. It’s natural that the team wants to invest in Spanish stars. When I heard I could leave UAE, almost every team called me. When I talked with Lidl-Trek, it quickly became clear that Lidl would be it. We understand each other well, and things moved fast afterward. I have to thank the team for the chance and for believing in me. This is a project that fits my status as a rider. The team and I are at the same stage: we’ve both proven to be very good, but we still need to prove we can be the best."
What surprises you the most about this team?
"The mentality and work ethic. It’s a super open team. Whenever I have questions, they help me and follow up. In terms of preparations like wind tunnel testing, I’ve never had this kind of support before."
Do you think you can win the Tour de France next year?
"I think winning the Tour de France this year is not realistic. We need to know where we stand; this is a long-term project. We have to set realistic goals; the first goal should be the podium at the Tour. Of course, we’re aiming for victory, but if Pogacar maintains his level, there will still be a gap between us."
Is it a blessing to have raced with Tadej Pogacar?
"This question is pushing it. (laughs) I understand the question. He is the best rider in the world. I haven’t raced much with him, but every time I did, I learned a lot from him. He’s a superstar in cycling and has somewhat outgrown the sport. For cycling, I think that’s a good thing."
How do you think the pressure will be this year?
"That’s a good question. I think I can only answer that in a year’s time. I always feel pressure, especially considering where I come from. You always have to perform to get opportunities. Here, they expect me to perform, but that’s normal, I think."
Are you the sole team leader at the Tour?
"To be honest, I don’t know yet. I haven’t talked much to the team about that. I’ve only been here four days and haven’t had many meetings. Mads might still be more of the leader at the Tour; he’s led the team many times before. He’s never won the green jersey, and I will help him with that—they’ll be a lot of support between us."
Is this program your first choice? Or did you also consider the Giro?
"No, it was a clear choice. The ideas I had and the team had matched really well. With Steven de Jongh, we made one or two small tweaks to my program."
When will 2026 be a success for you?
"The most important thing is to improve as a rider. So far, I’ve taken a step forward every year. This year, I hope to take two steps forward and really raise the bar. Hopefully, I can also win some races and help teammates to win. Personally, I just want to enjoy myself in a new environment where I feel very welcome."
What have you learned from the past years when you encountered some setbacks?
"I’ve had some problems every year. In 2023, I was injured; in 2024, I had COVID and had to withdraw from the Tour; in 2025, everyone knows what happened. I want to try to be consistent throughout the season and avoid so many setbacks. Everything I experienced has made me stronger. I’m proud of that."
Do you see yourself at the same level as Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel, and Jonas Vingegaard? How will you bridge that gap?
"The names you mention are still ahead of me. But I’m working hard and want to close the gap with the help of the team. Hopefully, I can answer 'yes' to that question next year."
Do you know what you need to do for that?
"Yes and no. Next year I’m still young, and the riders you mentioned are a bit older. I just have to keep improving a bit every year. The team will help me with that."
Last question: how big is your dream to win the Tour de France?
"When it comes to dreams, you usually get criticized. A dream is always something huge. I am very ambitious, but also realistic: it’s not realistic to win the Tour this year yet. But the drive to do it is there. It’s the reason I get up every morning. I will try to get better every day."
Juan Ayuso Pesquera| Race | Date |
|---|---|
 Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta | 18 Feb - 22 Feb |
 Paris-Nice | 8 Mar - 15 Mar |
| Itzulia Basque Country | 6 Apr - 11 Apr |
 La Flèche Wallonne | 22 Apr |
| Liège-Bastogne-Liège | 26 Apr |
| Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes | 7 Jun - 14 Jun |
| Tour de France | 4 Jul - 26 Jul |
Juan Ayuso - photo: Youri IJnsen
photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
