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Juan Ayuso makes his highly anticipated return to racing at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes after a challenging first half of the season marked by crashes and illness. This 23-year-old Spaniard aims to regain momentum as he prepares for the Tour de France.
Ayuso, leading the Lidl-Trek team's general classification hopes, has trained intensively for three weeks in Sierra Nevada. His season began promisingly with a victory at the Volta ao Algarve, but it took a downturn when he had to abandon Paris-Nice while in the lead and later fell ill during Itzulia.
Now, Ayuso shifts his focus to July, emphasizing that the upcoming race is vital for his preparation. He expresses excitement about competing, stating, “I’m really looking forward to pinning on a number again.”
The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes also serves as a crucial testing ground for Lidl-Trek’s team time trial strategy, with a 28.4km stage in Perreux acting as a rehearsal for the Tour de France. Ayuso believes this experience will be beneficial, especially for the opening team time trial in Barcelona, which is pivotal for general classification contenders. The stage race marks a fresh start for Ayuso and a chance for Lidl-Trek to solidify their plans for the Tour.
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