Ayuso Regrets Skjelmose's Misfortune in Tour de France Stage: 'One of the Best in the World'

Lidl-Trek's captain, Juan Ayuso, lamented the misfortune that struck his team during the opening stage of the Tour de France, a team time trial. Ayuso, who finished as the team's highest-placed rider in fourth overall, 16 seconds behind leader Jonas Vingegaard, believes the team could have achieved a better result if not for early issues.

"We were unlucky. We lost Skjelmose, who is one of the best in the world at this sort of thing," Ayuso said, referring to the mechanical problem that forced Danish rider Mattias Skjelmose to fall back early in the stage. Skjelmose had initially dreamed of helping teammate Mads Pedersen into the yellow jersey, a mission that quickly derailed.

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We were unlucky. We lost Skjelmose, who is one of the best in the world at this sort of thing. We also lost Quinn Simmons, and had we had those two, we could have done better.

Ayuso also noted the absence of Quinn Simmons, another key rider, further impacting the team's performance. "If we had had those two, we could have done better," he added. Despite the setbacks, Ayuso praised the efforts of his teammates, particularly Mathias Vacek, who provided significant assistance on the final climb, and Mads Pedersen, who worked hard earlier in the stage.

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I gave everything to the finish line. Luck was not with us, but I think we did excellently. Mads (Pedersen) did an incredible job, and Vacek was in a league of his own. I had problems keeping his wheel.

"I gave everything to the finish line. Luck was not with us, but I think we did excellently," Ayuso commented. He acknowledged the strong performance of Vingegaard, who took the lead, and the challenges posed by Tadej Pogacar and Filippo Ganna. Ayuso admitted struggling to keep pace with Vacek on the final ascent but remained resolute.

Looking ahead to the next stage, a traditional road race ending on Montjuic in Barcelona, Ayuso expressed confidence. "We had great faith that we could win. But 'shit happens,' and we have many more stages to try and win," he stated, underscoring the team's determination to bounce back.

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We had great faith that we could win. But 'shit happens,' and we have many more stages to try and win.