Juan Ayuso Pesquera

Born in Barcelona, he spent part of his early childhood in Atlanta before the family settled in Jávea on the Alicante coast. He started riding at seven after a friend took him along to the local club, and grew up watching Alberto Contador. Spanish cadet titles on the road and against the clock came in 2017 and 2018, the junior road race title in 2019, and both junior titles in 2020.

He spent 2021 with the Italian Continental squad Colpack Ballan and won the under-23 Giro d'Italia, taking three stages and becoming the youngest rider to do so. Trofeo Piva and the Giro del Belvedere went the same way. UAE Team Emirates announced his signing that June and had him racing in the WorldTour before the season was out.

The 2022 Vuelta a España was his first Grand Tour. He finished third behind Remco Evenepoel and Enric Mas a few days before turning 20, the youngest podium finisher in the race's history. Fourth place and the young rider's jersey followed at the 2023 Vuelta. Itzulia Basque Country fell to him in 2024, and his Tour de France debut that July ended on stage 13 with Covid, after he had ridden in support of Tadej Pogačar.

Tirreno-Adriatico came his way in 2025, along with a stage of the Volta a Catalunya at La Molina. He took the mountain finish at Tagliacozzo on the Giro d'Italia, then watched the leadership pass to his younger teammate Isaac del Toro, and climbed off on stage 18. UAE made his exit public during the Vuelta, where he won two stages. Lidl-Trek signed him through 2030.

He rides a steady tempo on long climbs and tends to leave his attacks late, as at Tagliacozzo, where he went clear inside the final kilometre. He is quick enough against the clock to have held off Filippo Ganna across a week at Tirreno-Adriatico, winning it by 35 seconds. Illness and mishap ended his 2024 Tour and his 2025 Giro early.