They behave like cannibals, devourers, like the Cannibal, Eddy Merckx, but since they are so young, almost beardless kids, and they like Nutella and Haribo bears more than bloody steaks, it is very hard to call them that, and so the The world has begun to know them as gluttons, the accelerated gluttons, who rule in sports, Alcaraz, Verstappen, and in cycling.
It is Remco Evenepoel, who at the age of 22 has already won a monument (Liège), a World Cup (Australia) and a three-week race (the Vuelta) in the same season and suffered (August 2020) an accident that almost made him quit cycling, and has won 15 races in 2022. It is Tadej Pogacar, 16 wins this year, and at 24 he has already won two Tours and three monuments (one Liege, two Lombardies).
And they win with style, with exhibitions, with crazy attacks,
madness of tens of kilometers alone against everyone, whether in Liège or in the Strade Bianche or in the Tour de France.
Cannibals go.
Glorious old men who have reached almost 40 or more pedaling, champions such as Alejandro Valverde, Philippe Gilbert, Vincenzo Nibali, Richie Porte, and runners who have made cycling a magnificent sport, such as Domenico Pozzovivo or Mikel Nieve, retire suddenly. , and that they discover to us, when fate prevents them from crossing the finish line pedaling in their last race, and their Lombardy ends up in the hospital, that cycling is also a cruel sport.
From Spain, to that world of frenzied gluttons comes one, Juan Ayuso, podium finisher in the Vuelta at the age of 19.
He just turned 20, in September, and he says that he already feels old.
That's how they run
either in Liège or in the Strade Bianche or in the Tour de France.
Cannibals go.
Glorious old men who have reached almost 40 or more pedaling, champions such as Alejandro Valverde, Philippe Gilbert, Vincenzo Nibali, Richie Porte, and runners who have made cycling a magnificent sport, such as Domenico Pozzovivo or Mikel Nieve, retire suddenly. , and that they discover to us, when fate prevents them from crossing the finish line pedaling in their last race, and their Lombardy ends up in the hospital, that cycling is also a cruel sport.
From Spain, to that world of frenzied gluttons comes one, Juan Ayuso, podium finisher in the Vuelta at the age of 19.
He just turned 20, in September, and he says that he already feels old.
That's how they run
either in Liège or in the Strade Bianche or in the Tour de France.
Cannibals go.
Glorious old men who have reached almost 40 or more pedaling, champions such as Alejandro Valverde, Philippe Gilbert, Vincenzo Nibali, Richie Porte, and runners who have made cycling a magnificent sport, such as Domenico Pozzovivo or Mikel Nieve, retire suddenly. , and that they discover to us, when fate prevents them from crossing the finish line pedaling in their last race, and their Lombardy ends up in the hospital, that cycling is also a cruel sport.
From Spain, to that world of frenzied gluttons comes one, Juan Ayuso, podium finisher in the Vuelta at the age of 19.
He just turned 20, in September, and he says that he already feels old.
That's how they run
glorious old men who have reached almost 40 or more pedaling, champions such as Alejandro Valverde, Philippe Gilbert, Vincenzo Nibali, Richie Porte, and runners who have made cycling a magnificent sport, such as Domenico Pozzovivo or Mikel Nieve, and who discover us, when fate prevents them from crossing the finish line pedaling in their last race, and they end up in the hospital, their Lombardy, that cycling is also a cruel sport.
From Spain, to that world of frenzied gluttons comes one, Juan Ayuso, podium finisher in the Vuelta at the age of 19.
He just turned 20, in September, and he says that he already feels old.
That's how they run
glorious old men who have reached almost 40 or more pedaling, champions such as Alejandro Valverde, Philippe Gilbert, Vincenzo Nibali, Richie Porte, and runners who have made cycling a magnificent sport, such as Domenico Pozzovivo or Mikel Nieve, and who discover us, when fate prevents them from crossing the finish line pedaling in their last race, and they end up in the hospital, their Lombardy, that cycling is also a cruel sport.
From Spain, to that world of frenzied gluttons comes one, Juan Ayuso, podium finisher in the Vuelta at the age of 19.
He just turned 20, in September, and he says that he already feels old.
That's how they run
when fate prevents them from crossing the finish line pedaling in their last race, and they end up in the hospital, their Lombardy, that cycling is also a cruel sport.
From Spain, to that world of frenzied gluttons comes one, Juan Ayuso, podium finisher in the Vuelta at the age of 19.
He just turned 20, in September, and says he already feels old.
That's how they run
when fate prevents them from crossing the finish line pedaling in their last race, and they end up in the hospital, their Lombardy, that cycling is also a cruel sport.
From Spain, to that world of frenzied gluttons comes one, Juan Ayuso, podium finisher in the Vuelta at the age of 19.
He just turned 20, in September, and says he already feels old.
That's how they run
Ask.
Does cycling change or just the faces of cyclists?
Response.
Cycling changes like life itself, which is evolving, and we are the ones who bring this new reality, because we are the new ones.
Q.
How would you define that new reality?
R.
Our actions are no longer determined by the fear of failing.
The last stage of the Vuelta, Navacerrada, we went out to win the stage, even knowing that if I suffered I could lose the podium, but I didn't have that in mind.
Each one has their style, but the ideology of all those who have been in front in recent years is that of aggressiveness, attack, and the fans are enjoying it a lot.
Q.
Whenever you are spoken of or written about, your youth, your 19 years, is quickly emphasized.
Don't you get tired?
Wouldn't you like to be valued only for what he does, not for the age at which he does it?
R.
But I'm not 19 anymore, I've already turned 20... I already feel old, I'm not a
teenager
anymore ... But I would like to continue having successes and I want them to talk about my successes on their own, without talking. of the kid that I am.
But I have no problem with it.
I'm happy with how fast things have gone, how quickly I've evolved, and how well I've adapted.
For next year I want to achieve successes, and that those successes speak for themselves, and so they also forget about my age and everything.
P.
They call the second year the confirmation year, the difficult year, in it you have to respond to the expectations raised in the first...
R.
It is logical that there is more pressure and more expectations... It is a linear process, which continues its course and it is normal that with the results that I have achieved this year, a year later, a little more mature, more is demanded of me.
And I don't have any problem.
It's even a good sign.
I am the first who demands and waits for me and wants to be there.
Both the team and the fans, as well as myself, demand of ourselves, and it's normal, it's what I want, and I work to achieve it.
Q.
On September 16, 2002, the day you were born, Valverde, your rival in this Vuelta, finished fourth in a time trial in that Vuelta...
R.
A good reflection should come out of this, right?
The day before the Pandera I asked if that climb had ever been done in the Vuelta, if there were videos on YouTube... And the video they showed me was from 2003, of Valverde... Damn, I was already running, and winning, Alejandro, I said, and I wasn't even a year old, and it was funny.
This shows how fast I have grown, but at the same time how eternal Valverde is, that it is incredible that at his age he is still here and so on.
P.
Valverde was already precocious, a young man who arrived with the mark of destiny on his forehead, the
Unbeaten
... Do you see yourself pedaling still in 20 years?
R.
No idea, no idea.
I enjoy my passion.
I'm lovin 'it.
I don't know how many years I'm going to be at the highest level.
I want to stay where I am.
I don't know if 10, 15, 20... I just want to enjoy whatever number it is...
P.
Do you recognize yourself in the elements that serve to distinguish your generation, generation Z?
Not so much thinking about the past or the future, but only about the present, about what to do at each moment, to do something always new... The desire to experiment?
A.
Exactly.
That's how it is.
In season you hardly enjoy any achievement, because in no time do you have the next objective and you have to continue preparing for the next thing to come.
And only after the Vuelta, when the season was over, was I able to celebrate and value what I had done.
Because no matter how great what I had achieved, the next day I was already getting up as if nothing had happened to continue training and improving for the following goals.
Q.
Do you say that you feel old at 20?
R.
I feel old already, yes, hahaha.
Yesterday I was looking at people who went on to become professionals and I saw some of those years, from 2003, from 2004, and I was already telling myself, damn, I already took two years out of these, what an old man, hahaha, but it's the law of life.
And Remco takes two out of me.
But I focus only on myself.
I am already at a point where, more than continuing to evolve, the time has come in 2023 to start making the record big.
Whoever I have to fight, I will fight.
P.
After the Vuelta he did not race anything again, neither the World Cup nor the Italian classics in which he could have taken advantage of his good pedal stroke.
Why?
R.
During the race you don't realize it, but just the day you finish, the adrenaline leaves you, the feeling of competition, and it came to me, not a downturn, because emotionally I was very happy, but I did feel fatigue.
Before the Vuelta I was already a month and a half away from my house in Andorra, preparing it, altitude, competition, Klasika, Getxo, Ordizia, return to altitude, and directly to the Vuelta, without going home, plus four weeks of Vuelta almost , a very long period, of mental fatigue, and after all the emotions experienced in the race, good moments, bad moments, the covid, difficulties in some stages... When the Vuelta ends, all the fatigue remains and goes away the adrenaline of the competition... I felt very tired both mentally and physically.
Q.
Women talk about postpartum depression, the hormonal game...
A.
Hormones, yes.
You go from competitive stress to relaxation.
Good comparison, postpartum depression.
You feel a lot of very big emotions.
On Saturday I knew that from being on the podium to not being on the podium my life changed a lot.
From third to fourth there is a very big difference.
When you get it, you feel a lot of emotions that on Monday, when you go back to being a normal person, you have to assimilate, and it's difficult.
P.
What can be expected from Juan Ayuso in 2023?
R.
At the Dubai concentration, on October 18, I will meet with the bosses to talk.
I will mix my interests with those of the team to get the best calendar.
I will do more WorldTour than this year, but similar in type of race.
Several a week, Ardennes, break, Vuelta... I don't know what my goals will be for a week.
I'll decide with the team.
It will be a very busy schedule until May... Then, stop and prepare well for the Vuelta.
Q.
Neither Giro nor Tour?
A.
No. I want to try the Vuelta again.
By 2024, yes I will change.
First, next year, I want to repeat and focus on the Vuelta as my main goal.
This year I have already finished third, why not dream of being able to win?
After finishing third, you can only think about trying to win.
P.
Remco lost a year with his crash... He will arrive at Lap 23 like Evenepoel at 22...
R.
In his line of progress, yes, exactly, let's see...
P.
In the Vuelta, aside, he confirmed that he was a cyclist for three weeks, something that many doubted...
A.
I even had that question.
He had run the maximum 10 days.
From 10 to 21 is more than double.
And I finished the Giro Bío well, but already on the ninth day... Well, don't sound bad, I always went alone and on the last day I didn't go... But in this Vuelta I have seen that I recovered very well, that I felt very comfortable.
Even in the last week is where I performed best, where I was closest to Enric Mas and Remco... That gives me a lot of peace of mind for next year.
The test of the nine man Tour.
Q.
But you also have speed and power for one-day tests, right?
R.
Before the Tour men focused on the Tour exclusively.
But we have already seen with Tadej Pogacar, what makes him the best in the world is that he wins the Tour but at the same time he wins one-day races, sprints, up, down... he is the model to follow.
Yes, I can defend myself very well in one-day races.
That's why I want to go to the Ardennes and try.
Q.
Your model is the leader of your team, the UAE.
Do you envy?
do you bite?
R.
It is number one in the world.
So says the ranking and so it is.
I have discussed it with the team.
When we run together it can come in handy for both of us.
People are going to watch him more for obvious reasons and we have to take advantage of that too.
I don't know if we will coincide in many or few races, but we will be able to take advantage of it.
P.
In the concentration of last year they stung in the Coll de Rates...
R.
I don't know where we will meet, but, yes, maybe we'll try again to improve the time, hehe.
Q.
Will the spike be repeated?
Do you feel capable of treating him face to face?
R.
We have a lot of respect for each other.
We have gotten to know each other better throughout the year, and although I have not coincided with him much in the race, I have done so in concentrations.
Our relationship has gotten better over time.
Respect everyone equally.
That's what would make him stand out.
It is not a problem to live with him.
It is normal.
He is number one, and when someone grows up he watches them and appreciates them a little.
But he has always respected me, he has advised me, he has helped me.
He knows that I want to follow in his footsteps, and whenever he has needed me he has given me a hand.
And I thank you very much.
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