Juan Ayuso, who will celebrate his 20th birthday next Friday, finishes La Vuelta in third despite contracting coronavirus during the race, albeit at a low viral load, so that he was allowed to continue racing.
The final result in Madrid will send the Spainard to the history books as only the second cyclist ever to reach the final podium of a Grand Tour as a teenager and the youngest at the Vuelta. The record holder remains Henri Cornet, back in the 1904 Tour de France. Henri Cornet was 19 years and 352 days old when he won, elevated from fourth after rampant cheating in the race saw the top three riders disqualified for taking a train.
Cornet never went on to win another Grand Tour, but the expectations are higher for Ayuso after impressing mightily in his neo-professional season. After Stage 20, Ayuso was just focused on the race at hand and celebrating that achievement rather than look to the future.
“It’s incredible, I cannot believe it,” said Ayuso. “I took this Vuelta on day by day without any huge expectation and just focusing on getting through it and doing my best. To finish on the podium is something incredible and now it’s time to enjoy it with my team, family and friends.
“We tried to go for the stage again today but just fell short, though Joao managed to gain time to move up also so all things considered we are very pleased as a squad.”
There was cause for celebration also for teammate Joao Almeida who jumped into the top-5 on GC by distancing an injury-hampered Carlos Rodriguez (INEOS-Grenadiers).
When asked about his future as a Grand Tour rider, Ayuso said this edition had proved something to himself, that he could compete against the best in a three-week race.
“I think this performance confirms to me that I can be a Grand Tour rider and that I can one day win these races and that’s the most important thing," said Ayuso.
Ironically, Ayuso will not win the white youth jersey for his historic performance, the young rider classification will go along with the red leader's jersey to Remco Evenepoel (QuickStep Alpha Vinyl).
At just 22 years and 229 days, Remco Evenepoel will become the fourth youngest ever winner of the Vuelta. The record holder is Angelino Soler with 21 years and 168 days, and Belgians Gustaaf Deloor (who won the first edition of La Vuelta in 1935) and Frans De Mulder (1960) were younger than Evenepoel when they won in Spain.
Of course, it’s currently a boom in young cycling prospects tackling the Grand Tours, two of the most recent winners of the Tour de France were both younger than Evenepoel when taking their first successes. Tadej Pogacar won the Tour de France in 2020 the day before his 22nd birthday, the year before Egan Bernal was 22 years and 196 days old when he won the Tour.
La Vuelta concludes tomorrow morning LIVE on SBS and SBS On Demand from 1:20am (AEST).
