Ayuso calls Tour de France stage one of the most complicated

Juan Ayuso, a contender in the Tour de France, labeled the 11th stage as one of the most challenging he has faced in the race to date. The Spanish cyclist for Lidl Trek, currently fourth overall, spoke after the stage in Nevers, France, where a historical speed record was broken with an average of 50.91 km/h.

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Forcing myself to be honest, it has been one of the most complicated stages of this Tour so far.

Ayuso admitted to feeling nervous at the start due to the rain and slick road conditions, stating his primary goal was simply to finish the stage safely. He noted the peloton's rapid pace, driven by a strong tailwind and a significant breakaway, which required his team to chase hard. Ayuso focused on conserving energy and recovering from the previous day's efforts.

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We started in the rain and the roads were a bit slippery. I was a bit nervous because the situation was not entirely under control. We just wanted to save the stage.

Despite the stage's difficulty, Ayuso highlighted the positive performance of his Lidl Trek team. "This Tour de France has been very good for us so far," he said. The team has already secured a stage win with Mads Pedersen, easing some pressure. They also hold the green jersey, the white jersey, and are recognized as the best team with yellow helmets, aiming to maintain this success.

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The tailwind and the strong breakaway of the peloton made the stage very fast. We had to chase very hard and, for my part, I focused on trying to save as much energy as possible and recover from yesterday's effort.