Juan Ayuso will target the Tour de France podium in 2026 with his new team Lidl-Trek, where he will lead the German team's ambitions alongside Mads Pedersen, who missed the Tour this past July.
The rising Spanish star will have sole ownership of a team's GC ambitions at the Tour de France for the first time, having broken his contract with UAE Team Emirates-XRG to join Lidl-Trek as a marquee signing.
Speaking to international media in Denia on Friday, Ayuso confirmed that the top three would be his goal come July, but while insisting that Pedersen, the green jersey winner in the Giro and Vuelta this year, was the main leader, he did admit how well he thought their ambitions could align.
"I'm a GC rider. I'm a very ambitious person, and also Lidl as a team wanted to start being more and more competitive in Grand Tours alongside being really strong in the Classics, of course, with Mads, and have a bit of a wider spectrum, let's say," said Ayuso.
"So, going to the Tour with Mads is really going to help me, sharing a bit of that leadership role. For me, Mads is the leader of the team, and I think we're going to really understand each other, help each other, and I'm looking forward to it."
Lidl-Trek also confirmed that Giulio Ciccone and Mattias Skjelmose will head to the Tour alongside Ayuso and Pedersen. Ciccone will also lead at the Giro, joined by Jonathan Milan, with the team's sprinters swapping Grand Tour schedules from 2025.
Ayuso knows full well that the man to beat in the Tour will be former teammate Tadej Pogačar, and while his ambitions are high, he was realistic in predicting his chances of taking down the world champion.
"To win the Tour this year is – I wouldn't say not realistic – but I think we also have to know where we are," he said.
"For the team, and for me, this is a long-term project, and we have to set goals that are high but realistic. I've never done a Tour de France racing for myself, so this year will be the first, and as the first step, I think we should aim for the podium.
"Of course, if there are opportunities to go for the win, obviously we're going to take them. But seeing, especially Tadej, at this level, if he maintains it, normally, also for 2026, there will still be a gap between us for this year."
In preparation for the Tour de France, the 23-year-old will kick off at the Volta ao Algarve, before racing Paris-Nice, Itzulia Basque Country, La Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the renamed Critérium du Dauphiné (Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes).
Ayuso opened up his press conference with a statement on his messy exit from UAE Team Emirates-XRG, which unfolded during the Vuelta a España and saw him label the team "like a dictatorship." Ayuso walked back his words and thanked his former team as he looked to move on from the saga.
"I want to start by thanking the entire team and structure of UAE. My time at UAE Team Emirates shaped me, and this will always remain an essential part of my sporting career," said Ayuso
"I also want to address and close once and for all what happened last September. At that moment, I said something I genuinely did not believe, as I was under pressure and nervous – it does not reflect my true feelings, and I consider the matter fully closed.
"Thank you, everyone, for their support during my time there. I only wish them the very best for the future. I will not be answering any more questions about UAE Team Emirates. Thank you."
With that chapter of his young career closed, Ayuso is now fully focused on rediscovering his enjoyment of the sport and continuing to improve on a path which has been disrupted at times over the past few seasons.
He's finished on the podium of a Grand Tour before, at the Vuelta on debut, and has won several GT stages since then, alongside a number of WorldTour one-week stage races. He remains one of the top GC prospects in the world and will be hoping he gets back fully on track with Lidl-Trek.
What does success look like for him in 2026? "The most important thing for me is to keep improving as a rider," he said.
"I've come to a new team, and I think every year I've made a step forward. I especially hope this time I can make two more and try to raise the bar and help the team really get a lot of wins.
"Of course, on the sporting side, there are big goals, because we race for a sponsor and we have to deliver, but to be honest, personally, I just want to have fun and enjoy a new environment where I feel very welcome."
