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It’s been quite the week, from the melodrama of UAE announcing Juan Ayuso would be leaving the team to the Spaniard’s surprise late on the Vuelta’s rest day to the protests against Israel-Premier Tech in Bilbao.
In between it all, we have the tender moments being shared by Jai Hindley and Giulio Pellizzari, which helps us all believe good still exists in the world.
“Today we have carried out a collaboration for the reforestation of 1,000 native trees in the Sendaviva Nature Park after the fire that affected the area in 2022,” La Vuelta announced before stage 10, having Juan Ayuso hold one of these trees on the stage at sign-on.
“Olive branch?” asked Twitter’s Dan Deakins, tongue in cheek.
Yes, this is the news that Juan Ayuso and UAE Team Emirates are officially parting ways by mutual consent. Maybe the only actually mutually consensual uncoupling in the history of mutual consent being used in press releases of this manner.
That said, Ayuso was annoyed with UAE unexpectedly announcing the news on the Vuelta’s first rest day, having previously agreed the announcement would be made after the Spanish Grand Tour had concluded. UAE’s response to his annoyance? That he was lucky they didn’t go with the much meaner first draft of their press release. Fair play.
The 22-year-old responded by alleging UAE wanted to damage his image with their underhand move. Many online responded saying Ayuso had done a good enough job of that himself over the past couple of years.
We wish Ayuso the best, whether he does indeed sign for Lidl-Trek or flips the coin Anton Chigurh-style and decides to embrace the chaos of Movistar.
The Spaniard fluctuating between being seemingly unable to pull for his team leader João Almeida to winning two stages from the breakaway has been breathtaking to watch. Frustratingly, it appears the Tour of Guangxi has disappeared from his calendar, so we wait with bated breath to find out the exact punishment UAE has in store for him when the season begins to close.
Pidcock grows some balls 🎾
Sorry to return to ball talk, but we have a ball update from El Grande Ball-gate of the 2025 Vuelta.
Tom Pidcock took Almeida’s advice to heart and on stage 11 became only the third rider this year (after Tadej Pogačar and Almeida himself) to drop Jonas Vingegaard in 2025, even if only momentarily.
Sure, Pidcock was probably gutted that a stage almost tailor-made for him was scrapped and instead finished at 3 km before the line, especially as he’d already managed to elevate himself up to third on GC.
Pidcock said he believes there should always be a finish line (and winner) of a bike race, which seems fair. But unfortunately, his next words provided a huge dent to the skyrocketing vibes of the GC Pidcock camp.
“It’s not easy. I think the Vuelta did what they could for us, the organisation, to keep us safe,” Pidcock told reporters after the finish. “I think, you know… I don’t want to say anything political. I’m going to get in trouble,” before then deciding to say something kind of unavoidably political.
“Putting us in danger isn’t going to help your cause. It simply isn’t going to help what they’re protesting. Everyone’s got the right to protest, whatever they want, but yeah, putting us in danger is not the way forward.” However you feel about the protestors and their methods, they have garnered more attention from these strong actions than anything else we’ve seen from Israel protestors at bike races this year.
Almeida also grew some balls by apologising to Pidcock for his outburst after a frustrating stage 9 where the Brit wheel-sucked him before pipping the Portuguese on the line.
Relaying the conversation between the pair, Pidcock said:
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