Ayuso: 'I am happy to be in the fight for the podium'

Juan Ayuso, currently fourth overall in the Tour de France, expressed his contentment following the tenth stage, where he reclaimed the white jersey. The Spanish cyclist highlighted the challenging nature of the stage and praised his UAE team for their exceptional performance and high pace.

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It's nice to have recovered the white jersey, I'm happy with my stage. It was difficult, because UAE did a great job, all their cyclists performed exceptionally and rode at a high pace.

Ayuso acknowledged the dominance of Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar, stating that Pogacar "plays in another league." Despite this, Ayuso remains focused and satisfied with his own position, emphasizing his goal of competing for a podium finish. He noted that he and his teammate Mattias Skjelmose managed to stay with the main contenders and gain ground on some rivals.

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Tadej is on another level, he races differently, but in the fight for the podium, we are all very close.

The competition for the podium is fierce, with Ayuso describing it as a battle among five or six riders for the final two spots. He anticipates an intense fight all the way to Paris. Ayuso stressed the importance of focusing on his own performance day by day, acknowledging Skjelmose's strong contribution during the stage.

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I have to give my maximum every day, we are five or six looking for the last two steps of the podium and the fight will be intense until Paris. We focus on ourselves, day by day.

Ayuso also explained his inability to assist Jonas Vingegaard in chasing Pogacar, citing his own exertion levels. He stated he was riding at his maximum capacity, just enough to keep pace, and that Vingegaard's tempo was too high for him to contribute effectively to the pursuit.

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I would have loved to collaborate with him, but his pace was too high for me.