Juan Ayuso could make his debut at the 2024 Tour de France and compete alongside teammate and two-time champion Tadej Pogačar in the race held next summer from June 29 to July 1.
“I just got back from Dubai with the team. The idea is to make my debut in the Tour next year and see how it goes,” Ayuso confirmed to the EFE news agency.
The route for the 2024 Tour de France was revealed on Wednesday. Pogačar has stated that the Tour de France will be his main target in 2024.
Ayuso, 21, has competed twice at the Vuelta a España, where he finished third in 2022 and fourth this year. He also finished second at the Tour de Suisse.
“Jumbo were superior to everyone and were fair winners of everything this season,” Ayuso told the EFE ahead of the Madrid Criterium on Saturday.
“I just got back from Dubai with the team. The idea is to make my debut in the Tour next year and see how it goes,” adding that while Pogačar will lead the team at the Tour de France, he felt it was important to bring more than one overall contender.
“[Pogačar] is currently number one, and it is normal for him to go [as the leader] to the Tour, but as we have seen in the Vuelta, the smartest thing is to take several riders who are there.”
At this year’s Vuelta a España, Ayuso won the young rider classification but finished fourth overall behind the Jumbo-Visma trio of winner Sepp Kuss, runner-up Jonas Vingegaard and third-placed Primož Roglič.
Outside of the Tour de France, Ayuso said he would also like to focus on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and the 2024 UCI Road World Championships in Zurich.
“Of course, I would love to be in the Olympics and the World Championships, which could be even better for me. What I want is to get to the Games well so that the coach can take me, although I would love to be in both events, and I have that in mind.”
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