In this 2025 that is coming to a close, there have been many rider transfers between teams, and among the most important are certainly those of Remco Evenepoel from Soudal Quick-Step to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and Juan Ayuso from UAE Emirates XRG to Lidl-Trek. The Catalan wants to achieve what he missed in his old team and is convinced that 2026 will be a year of rebirth and satisfaction.

No one has forgotten Ayuso's sharp words spoken last September, when the end of his relationship with the Emirates team was announced. "We should have waited until the end of the Vuelta to announce it, but everything happened in 30 minutes" - Ayuso said the day after the press release - "I did not agree with the content of the statement, but I was told to just accept it. They want to damage my image. I have been subjected to one disrespect after another. It's a true dictatorship".

However, all this is now in the past, and this was demonstrated by the statement the twenty-three-year-old from Barcelona read at the beginning of his new team's press conference. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire staff and organization of UAE Emirates XRG, particularly Mauro Gianetti and Matxin. My period with this team will remain a crucial moment in my career. I learned professionalism, discipline, and vision. And I want to clarify what happened in September. My departure occurred in an atmosphere of great tension, and my comments at the time did not reflect my true feelings towards the team. I consider the matter closed and will not respond to any further questions about UAE". Without a doubt, these statements, also desired by the new team, are a mix of thanks and apologies that definitively bury the hatchet between Ayuso and UAE Emirates XRG.

Now, a new chapter begins for the rider who has signed a contract with Lidl Trek until 2030. "For now, I am very happy in my new team. I already feel at home. From the first conversations with management, I perceived a lot of confidence. During the first team-building event in Germany, everyone welcomed me warmly. I feel that this team reflects me: it has already demonstrated its value, but wants to prove it can do even better. I identify with this vision. And I can't wait to get to work".

The goal for the Catalan is to participate in the Tour de France to reach the podium, with Pedersen by his side. His 2026 season will start with a training camp at Teide, before the Volta ao Algarve, the season's opening race in mid-February. Then Paris-Nice, Tour of the Basque Country, Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the Critérium du Dauphiné will mark the important stages of his journey towards the Tour de France.

"The team has already achieved many important results with Pedersen, but wants to expand its scope and be competitive in the Grand Tours. Mads will be by my side at the Tour de France as a leader, we have complementary objectives. But it wouldn't be realistic to say I can win the Tour this year. It will be the first time I race as a leader, and the main objective will be the podium. If there are opportunities to do better, of course I will take them. But I know that if Pogačar maintains his level, there will still be a gap between him and me".

Ayuso spoke very positively about Pogačar, confirming that he learned a lot from him and emphasized that he hopes to continue progressing in the new team. "Even though I sometimes had to face setbacks, like my injury in 2023, COVID during the Tour in 2024, or my difficulties in 2025, I always managed to overcome obstacles. And I feel that at Lidl-Trek, the exceptional level of support I have received since arriving can work in my favor. I have never experienced anything like this before. I want to help the team win races. I want to contribute to the team's success and help my teammates achieve their goals".