In the town of Torricella Sicura, Juan Ayuso of UAE Crew Emirates, set ambitious goals for himself on Stage 5 of the Tirreno-Adriatico race on Friday. He aimed to compete with Jonas Vingegaard on the primary mountain stage and contend for the ultimate victory on Saturday’s Monte Petrano summit finish.
Ayuso’s sights were set on racing against the top cyclists, an opportunity which he found exciting and inspiring. Despite losing to Vingegaard, Ayuso remained optimistic, acknowledging the latter as a more superior competitor for now. Conceding that he needs to work harder to reach Vingegaard’s level, the young Spaniard, who was victorious in the opening time trial, admitted that he had struggled in the race but remained undeterred.
The focused game plan played by Visma-Lease a Bike was met with praise from Ayuso and the rest of the participants. The team strategically controlled the race’s pace, ultimately setting up the stage for Vingegaard to secure a lone 29km victory ride.
Ayuso received aid from Isaac del Toro, who joined the chasers and gave his all. However, Vingegaard was too far ahead, and despite Ayuso finishing second, he accumulated a 1:16 loss to Vingegaard, who is now leading him in the general classification by 54 seconds.
Ayuso was generous in his praise of Vingegaard’s team, admitting that their pace setting was unmatched. He also praised Del Toro’s efforts, adding that there wasn’t much they could do against a competitor like Vingegaard.
Despite the odds, Ayuso is determined to make the most of the race. Currently in second place and leading Jai Hindley of Bora-Hansgrohe by 26 seconds, Ayuso is already brainstorming strategies to win Saturday’s Monte Petrano mountaintop finish, and is hopeful Del Toro can join him on the podium.
