On the morning of the rest day at the Giro d’Italia, one of the primary concerns for cycling fans was related to the injury Juan Ayuso sustained to his knee during his crash on stage 9 amidst the gravel of Tuscany. The question was how many stitches he required: was it two, four, or even seven? However, during a press conference held by UAE Team Emirates, Ayuso clarified that he has three stitches in his knee.
Ayuso expressed that he felt considerably better after his training session compared to how he felt when he woke up on Monday. Still, UAE Team Emirates faces a more complex issue concerning their leadership in the Giro d’Italia, which might be harder to navigate than Ayuso’s seemingly minor injury.
Currently, UAE Team Emirates boasts four riders in the top ten: Isaac del Toro is leading, followed by Ayuso in second place at 1:13, Brandon McNulty in eighth at 1:59, and Adam Yates at 2:01.
This strong position heading into the first rest day is something most teams would covet, and Ayuso remarked that had someone told him beforehand that he would be in second place after this stage, ahead of rival Primoz Roglič from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, he would have eagerly accepted the outcome.
Prior to the Giro, Ayuso had expressed satisfaction at merely being on the podium in Rome and stated he wouldn’t dismiss the idea of potentially winning outright. After his victory at the Tagliacozzo summit, he slightly adjusted his goals to indicate a focus on overall victory. However, upon addressing the situation on Monday, his tone had evolved once more.
“The team’s triumph is paramount,” Ayuso said. “Of course, I wish to win it, but if a teammate secures the victory, then that’s a success as well. Should I lose the Giro, I’d prefer that it’s because a teammate prevailed rather than a competitor.”
Regarding his physical condition and mindset, Ayuso acknowledged some pain in his knee but noted that he had completed his training ride with an improved feeling compared to when he began, leaving him more at ease about the upcoming time trial.
“Morale is high. If you had said at the start in Albania that I would be lying second at this rest day with a minute ahead of Roglič, I would have agreed instantly,” he commented.
Ayuso, currently 2:25 behind Del Toro and ahead of Roglič by 1:12, feels both he and the team are in a strong position.
Team manager Joxean Fernández Matxin added, “Our strategy remains unchanged despite the strong team performance; Juan, Adam, and Isaac are all leaders regardless of who is in front.”
“Instead of asking us about our situation, perhaps it would be better to inquire how the other teams plan to challenge us,” he remarked.
Multiple Crashes
Reflecting on the several crashes he experienced during the first week of the Giro—one on stage 1 and another on stage 9—Ayuso regretted injuring the same knee during his latest fall, the same one he had bruised earlier in the race. Nonetheless, he was relieved that while his knee hurt, his muscles were unharmed, as the impact was primarily on the bone.
“This shouldn’t significantly impact my performance, as it didn’t involve the muscle crucial for leg power; it only affected the bone. I was concerned for about 15-20 minutes, but now it feels better.”
“I would have preferred to avoid the crash altogether, especially as it happened to the already bruised knee and required three stitches, which was quite painful.”
“Fortunately, having a rest day today allows me to recover after the crash.” Ayuso remarked that he felt fortunate in both incidents, as the circumstances surrounding each crash mitigated the impact.
“The crash on the slippery road in Albania was less severe due to the high level of slipping; I’ve experienced worse falls. The second crash did hurt my knee, but I was fortunate the speed wasn’t too high, allowing the rest of my body to remain unaffected.”
After the crash, Ayuso described the race becoming chaotic, with intense pace and numerous small groups racing to the finish.
“I was quite anxious about getting a puncture since the team car was far behind. However, I managed to make it through, and Isaac had a remarkable day overall,” he acknowledged.
Looking ahead, Ayuso, along with other contenders, faces the upcoming challenge of Tuesday’s 28.6-kilometer time trial, the second of the Giro.
Like the first time trial in Tirana, Ayuso is tackling it shortly after a crash but will be aiming for a vastly different outcome than the one in Albania, where Roglič outclassed the competition.
Apart from his physical recovery, Ayuso is hoping to avoid technical difficulties as experienced in Albania, where his specialized time trial bottle fell during the race.
“It’s almost an extension of the bike and aids aerodynamics, so if it falls out again, let’s hope it’s at the end of the time trial and not at the beginning,” he joked.