'I don't want to get carried away' - Juan Ayuso seizes Tour white jersey after riding at his limit

'I don't want to get carried away' - Juan Ayuso seizes Tour white jersey after riding at his limit

The Lidl-Trek rider moved within 16 seconds of the podium at Le Lioran, but said following Jonas Vingegaard's pace left him unable to contribute to the chase.

By Peter Stuart · · 3 min read

Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) moved into fourth overall and took the Tour de France white jersey from Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG) on Tuesday after finishing fifth on stage 10.

Speaking in the mixed zone after the stage, in audio distributed by his Lidl-Trek team, Ayuso said the 166.6km route from Aurillac to Le Lioran had been an important test in his general classification campaign.

“I'm happy. I think it was an important day to get through,” Ayuso said. “I went to the limit and I'm still trying to recover a little. Jonas was pulling to try to catch Tadej, and I did everything I knew how to do to hang on.”

Results

Jul 14

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Tadej Pogačar
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG3:58:08
🥈
Remco Evenepoel
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+0:32
🥉
Paul Seixas
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+0:34
4
Florian Lipowitz
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+0:34
5
Juan Ayuso Pesquera
LIDL-TREK+0:38
6
Mattias Skjelmose Jennow Jensen
LIDL-TREK+0:38
7
Jonas Vingegaard Hansen
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+0:44
8
Isaac del Toro Romero
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+1:31
9
Thomas Pidcock
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+1:59
10
Lenny Sydney Martinez
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+2:03
11
Richard Antonio Carapaz Montenegro
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+2:09
12
Davide Piganzoli
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+2:42
13
Ilan van Wilder
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+2:48
14
Ramses Debruyne
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+2:48
15
Egan Arley Bernal Gomez
NETCOMPANY INEOS+2:53
16
Yannis Voisard
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+3:05
17
Adam Richard Yates
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+3:45
18
Tobias Halland Johannessen
UNO-X MOBILITY+4:50
19
Sean Quinn
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+5:23
20
Pablo Castrillo Zapater
MOVISTAR TEAM+6:45
21
Tiesj Benoot
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+6:50
22
Carlos Verona Quintanilla
LIDL-TREK+6:50
23
Jordan Jegat
TOTALENERGIES+6:50
24
Matthew Riccitello
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+6:50
25
Nicolas Prodhomme
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+6:52
26
Einer Augusto Rubio Reyes
MOVISTAR TEAM+6:52
27
Sepp Kuss
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+7:09
28
Jai Hindley
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+7:09
29
Brandon Mcnulty
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+7:09
30
Derek Gee
LIDL-TREK+12:46
31
Tobias Svendsen Foss
NETCOMPANY INEOS+12:46
32
Thymen Arensman
NETCOMPANY INEOS+12:46
33
Matteo Jorgenson
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+12:46
34
Quinten Hermans
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+12:46
35
Nicolas Breuillard
TOTALENERGIES+15:21
36
Aurélien Paret Peintre
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+18:53
37
Alex Baudin
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+21:23
38
Valentin Paret Peintre
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+21:23
39
Quinn Simmons
LIDL-TREK+21:23
40
Felix Grossschartner
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+21:23
41
Marc Hirschi
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+21:23
42
Ben Healy
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+21:52
43
Javier Romo Oliver
MOVISTAR TEAM+22:44
44
Tim Wellens
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+23:26
45
Clément Russo
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+25:09
46
Bruno Armirail
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+25:09
47
Quentin Pacher
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+25:09
48
Damiano Caruso
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+25:09
49
Romain Gregoire
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+25:09
50
Kévin Vauquelin
NETCOMPANY INEOS+25:09
51
Lorenzo Germani
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+25:09
52
Mauro Schmid
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+25:09
53
Abel Balderstone Roumens
CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA+25:09
54
Clément Braz Afonso
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+25:09
55
Joris Delbove
TOTALENERGIES+25:09
56
Jose Felix Parra Cuerda
CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA+25:09
57
Anthon Charmig
UNO-X MOBILITY+25:09
58
Maxim van Gils
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+25:09
59
Mattia Cattaneo
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+25:09
60
Louis Vervaeke
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+25:09
61
Harold Alfonso Tejada Canacue
XDS ASTANA TEAM+25:09
62
Sergio Andres Higuita Garcia
XDS ASTANA TEAM+25:09
63
Anders Skaarseth
UNO-X MOBILITY+25:09
64
Ben Alexander O'Connor
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+25:09
65
Anders Halland Johannessen
UNO-X MOBILITY+25:09
66
Raul Garcia Pierna
MOVISTAR TEAM+25:20
67
Lucas Plapp
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+25:26
68
Toms Skujins
LIDL-TREK+25:26
69
Xandro Meurisse
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+27:01
70
Georg Zimmermann
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+27:08
71
Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda Hernandez
MOVISTAR TEAM+27:12
72
Damien Craig Howson
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+27:12
73
Jan Tratnik
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+27:12
74
Lars Craps
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+27:12
75
Lennert van Eetvelt
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+27:12
76
Ewen Costiou
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+27:12
77
Michael Valgren
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+27:12
78
Jasper Stuyven
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+27:12
79
Mathis le Berre
TOTALENERGIES+27:12
80
Max Walker
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+27:40
81
Rick Pluimers
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+27:45
82
Antonio Tiberi
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+29:01
83
Christopher Harper
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+32:35
84
Warren Barguil
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+34:42
85
Brent van Moer
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+34:42
86
Anthony Turgis
TOTALENERGIES+34:55
87
Matteo Vercher
TOTALENERGIES+34:55
88
Jonas Abrahamsen
UNO-X MOBILITY+35:04
89
Nicolya Vinokurov
XDS ASTANA TEAM+35:04
90
Vlad van Mechelen
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+35:48
91
Felix Engelhardt
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+36:11
92
Michael James Matthews
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+36:11
93
Liam Slock
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+36:11
94
Nils Politt
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+36:11
95
Mike Teunissen
XDS ASTANA TEAM+36:11
96
Xabier Mikel Azparren Irurzun
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+36:11
97
Thibault Guernalec
TOTALENERGIES+36:11
98
Dorian Godon
NETCOMPANY INEOS+36:11
99
Hugo Page
COFIDIS+36:11
100
Michel Heßmann
MOVISTAR TEAM+36:11
101
Stefano Oldani
CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA+36:11
102
Ion Izaguirre Insausti
COFIDIS+36:11
103
Alex Kirsch
COFIDIS+36:11
104
Aaron Murray Gate
XDS ASTANA TEAM+36:11
105
Alex Aranburu Deva
COFIDIS+36:11
106
Kasper Asgreen
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+36:11
107
Alfred Brockwell Wright
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+36:11
108
Marco Frigo
NSN CYCLING TEAM+36:11
109
Guillaume Martin Guyonnet
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+36:11
110
Mathieu van der Poel
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+36:11
111
Mads Pedersen
LIDL-TREK+36:11
112
Mathias Vacek
LIDL-TREK+36:11
113
Per Strand Hagenes
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+36:11
114
Florian Vermeersch
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+36:11
115
Tim van Dijke
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+36:11
116
Emiel Verstrynge
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+36:11
117
Nico Denz
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+36:11
118
Luke Durbridge
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+36:11
119
Filippo Ganna
NETCOMPANY INEOS+36:29
120
Edoardo Affini
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+36:29
121
Simone Velasco
XDS ASTANA TEAM+36:29
122
Alexandre Delettre
TOTALENERGIES+36:29
123
Marco Haller
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+36:29
124
Joel Nicolau Beltran
CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA+36:29
125
Jakub Otruba
CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA+36:29
126
Magnus Nielsen
UNO-X MOBILITY+36:29
127
Frank van den Broek
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+36:29
128
Robert Stannard
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+36:29
129
Benjamin Thomas
COFIDIS+36:39
130
George Bennett
NSN CYCLING TEAM+36:50
131
Matej Mohoric
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+36:50
132
Michal Kwiatkowski
NETCOMPANY INEOS+37:29
133
Joshua Michael Tarling
NETCOMPANY INEOS+37:29
134
Julian Alaphilippe
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+38:04
135
Nelson Oliveira
MOVISTAR TEAM+38:04
136
Victor Campenaerts
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+38:10
137
Jenno Berckmoes
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+38:10
138
Michael Storer
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+38:10
139
Jonas Rickaert
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+38:44
140
Huub Artz
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+38:54
141
Pavel Bittner
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+39:11
142
Niklas Märkl
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+39:11
143
Pascal Ackermann
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+39:11
144
John Degenkolb
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+39:11
145
Frits Biesterbos
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+39:11
146
Krists Neilands
NSN CYCLING TEAM+39:11
147
Georg Steinhauser
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+39:11
148
Matis Louvel
NSN CYCLING TEAM+39:32
149
Tom van Asbroeck
NSN CYCLING TEAM+39:32
150
Kamil Gradek
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+39:52
151
Max Kanter
XDS ASTANA TEAM+40:09
152
Silvan Dillier
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+40:09
153
Piet Allegaert
COFIDIS+40:09
154
Edward Planckaert
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+40:09
155
Julius van den Berg
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+40:09
156
Olav Kooij
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+40:21
157
Daan Hoole
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+40:21
158
Thomas Jake Stewart
NSN CYCLING TEAM+40:23
159
Tim Marsman
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+40:26
160
Jasper Philipsen
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+40:26
161
Milan Fretin
COFIDIS+40:26
162
Jenthe Biermans
COFIDIS+40:26
163
Cees Bol
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+40:26
164
Davide Ballerini
XDS ASTANA TEAM+40:26
165
Biniam Girmay
NSN CYCLING TEAM+40:26
166
Lewis Askey
NSN CYCLING TEAM+40:26
167
Robbe Dhondt
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+40:26
168
Dylan van Baarle
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+41:41
169
Pascal Eenkhoorn
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+41:41
170
Tim Merlier
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+41:41
171
Fernando Gaviria Rendon
CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA+41:41
172
Sebastian Berwick
CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA+41:41
173
Baptiste Veistroffer
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+41:41
174
Phil Bauhaus
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+41:41
175
Søren Wærenskjold
UNO-X MOBILITY+41:45

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) attacked near the summit of the Col de Pertus and won alone after a day containing approximately 3,800 metres of climbing. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) finished 32 seconds behind, while Ayuso and teammate Mattias Skjelmose crossed the line at 38 seconds.

Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) finished 44 seconds down after driving the pursuit. Ayuso described the Dane as the strongest rider in the group and said Vingegaard had assumed responsibility for most of the chase.

“I would obviously have liked to contribute a little more, both to increase the gaps behind and reduce the gap ahead,” Ayuso said. “But I did everything I knew how to do simply to stay there.”

Ayuso later put that effort at 450 to 460 watts, speaking in mixed zone comments reported by Mundo Deportivo, explaining that the output was just enough to hold Vingegaard's wheel.

Ayuso closes to within 16 seconds of the podium

The result left Ayuso 4:22 behind Pogačar overall and only 16 seconds behind third-placed Evenepoel. Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG) conceded 1:31 on the stage, allowing Ayuso to move ahead in the young rider classification.

Ayuso said Pogačar was “at another level” but placed himself among five or six riders competing for the remaining two podium positions. He stopped short of setting a target for Paris.

“It's clear that we're in a good position, and I think I'm in a good moment of form,” he said. “I don't want to get carried away. I don't want to start thinking about what will happen two weeks from now. We have to take it day by day.”

The white jersey was a notable milestone for the 23-year-old, who called wearing a classification jersey in the Tour de France “a really nice” experience. He also said having Skjelmose near the leading group could give Lidl-Trek more options in the coming mountain stages.

Ayuso's immediate plan is to recover through the flatter 161.3km stage from Vichy to Nevers on Wednesday, then reach the weekend in condition for what he expects to be another hard test.

Cover image credit: Charly Lopez

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Peter Stuart

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Peter is the editor of Velora and oversees Velora’s editorial strategy and content standards, bringing nearly 20 years of cycling journalism to the site. He was editor of Cyclingnews from 2022, introducing its digital membership strategy and expanding its content pillars. Before that he was digital editor at Cyclist and then Rouleur having joined Cyclist in 2012 after freelance work for titles including The Times and The Telegraph. He has reported from Grand Tours and WorldTour races, and previously represented Great Britain as a rower.