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New York Times
2 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Giro d'Italia key takeaways: Yates' patience, the beauty of gravel – and did UAE throw away the race?
An enthralling 2025 Giro d'Italia concluded on Sunday — one of the finest editions of the race for several years. In contrast to the 2024 contest, when Tadej Pogacar obliterated the opposition, winning six stages and the general classification by almost 10 minutes, this year's race was in the balance until the final weekend, with eventual winner Simon Yates ending up in the iconic pink jersey without taking a single stage in the process. Here, The Athletic's writers review a memorable three weeks on the roads of Italy (and Albania). Jacob Whitehead: Well, yes. But it's also worth going back to even earlier in the Giro — where they actually limited Del Toro's lead by pacing back the peloton in support of then-leader Juan Ayuso. Going into Saturday, they were correct to tell Del Toro to sit on Carapaz's wheel — but communication should have been better when Yates was going up the road and the gap was still salvageable. UAE have since said that they left the decision-making largely up to Del Toro on the road — whether they are covering their own backs is uncertain — but either way, a 21-year-old on his first decisive climb should have been given better advice and support. His legs were there. Chris Waugh: It's hard to argue otherwise, with this Grand Tour showing the pros and cons of having more than one theoretical leader (even if that may not have been the initial plan). UAE tried to protect Ayuso early in the race, which potentially affected Del Toro later on, and the mixed messaging cannot have helped a rider as green as the Mexican. Advertisement Despite that, the emergence of Del Toro only increases the aura around the stable UAE has built. He was seen as a theoretical Grand Tour winner before and, although he let things slip on the final (competitive) stage, Del Toro has confirmed his potential in Italy. That may not feel like a consolation for UAE, but perhaps it should. Tim Spiers: Everyone has had their say on Saturday's remarkable stage 20; Carapaz scolded Del Toro for not knowing what to do, Alberto Contador said he didn't understand what either of them were doing, and Geraint Thomas suggested that even his five-year-old son would have known to chase. What can't be disputed is that the pressure got to Del Toro and he was dealt a bad hand by his own team. You can't imagine he or they will make the same mistake again, but for the Giro it was already too late. It gave us one of the most incredible Grand Tour climaxes in recent memory, though. Duncan Alexander: This was Juan Ayuso's big chance to lead UAE in a Grand Tour and it simply didn't work out. He might now need to move on to fulfil his potential. The team were right to back Del Toro, and the Mexican clearly has the pedigree to win this level of race in the future, but his inexperience (or perhaps his unwillingness to defy team orders) showed in the crucial moments of stage 20. He had to chase down Yates once the Briton had gone clear, even if that risked dragging Carapaz with him. The history of the sport is littered with riders who only realised they had let the biggest opportunity of their career slip through their fingers years later — you just have to hope Del Toro is not one of them. Jacob: This was such a strange Giro. Yates was only the best climber on the final day — where the numbers suggest he only trails Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard for climbing performance of the decade. He was absolutely a worthy winner in the sense that he risked it all, slayed his ghosts, and was at his career-best when it mattered. But I also think there's a strange irony in that had he not shipped 30 seconds on Stage 19, when he criticised his team in the aftermath, he likely would not have been allowed to go clear on the Finestre. That's the Yates lesson — our greatest success is born from our greatest failures. Chris: The question is not without merit — given Yates is the first Giro winner since Alberto Contador in 2015 to fail to take an individual stage and the Brit did not even move up to the podium positions until stage 14 — but Grand Tours reward performance over three weeks. It is not necessarily about being the best on multiple stages, even if more often than not that brings about overall success, but consistently placing well among the favourites. Advertisement Yates may have left his decisive move until (very) late, yet 'queen stages' are the ones which can provide significant, and potentially defining, time gains or losses. The 32-year-old discovered that to his detriment in 2018, when Chris Froome cruelly pipped him in the final throes of that Giro, and on this occasion Yates himself did the same to Del Toro. Tim: Absolutely. It may have been daylight robbery, but Yates' timing was absolutely impeccable. For him to only finish in the top three of one single stage during three weeks' of racing reflects what an unusual Giro it was – and also the quality of the field that remained by the time they got to Rome. Imagine how many minutes Tadej Pogacar would have cleared the GC pack by? But that's completely irrelevant and Yates' redemption arc is one that will be remembered for many years to come. He was also wildly underestimated, particularly by his closest rivals. Duncan: Anyone who sat through the equally-dramatic Finestre stage in 2018, where Yates shipped more than 30 minutes to Chris Froome and slipped from first to 17th(!) in the general classification, will appreciate the redemption arc here. In a sport that celebrates heroism and epic feats more than most, Yates' mental and physical indefatigability on one of Italy's hardest climbs was incredibly impressive. In 2018, he was very much the Del Toro figure, winning three stages in the middle of the race and enjoying the seemingly endless strength of his young legs. Seven years on, he is the (relatively) grizzled veteran who knows you just have to complete the route in the least time to win a Grand Tour. And that's what he did — with a little help from his friends. Jacob: Let's talk about Wout van Aert. Supposedly, this is a down year for him. That may be the case, based on his difficult spring. His first week at the Giro, meanwhile, was marred by illness and a failed leadout for Olav Kooij on stage six. And yet. By Rome, Van Aert had won the iconic gravel stage to Siena on stage nine, brilliantly paced Yates to GC glory at the end of stage 20, and provided a perfect leadout to Kooij as his nightcap. For any other rider, this would go down as one of the great protagonist performances. For Van Aert, it was an eight out of 10 week. A shoutout as well to the bosses at UAE and Visma who suggested Pogacar and Vingegaard gave this Giro a miss… we were spoiled by the open competition in their absence. Parabolica, but make it ✨ ciclismo ✨ #GirodItalia — Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 30, 2025 Chris: I'd agree with Jacob that a refreshed Van Aert made the race thrilling, as he usually does, but to be different I'll go for Richard Carapaz. The Ecuadorian has never quite rediscovered the consistency over a full three weeks which delivered a Giro title in 2019, but he was the team leader who was repeatedly trying to ignite the GC race. Advertisement His victory on Stage 11 showed how explosive he can be and Carapaz ensured that, before Yates' late charge, it would not merely be a procession for Del Toro. You can question Carapaz's tactics on stage 20, when he seemed to accept a podium place rather than ride with Del Toro to try and hunt down Yates, but that was the only conservative move the 32-year-old really made all Giro. Tim: It has been a long, long road back to the upper echelons of the sport for Egan Bernal. Some had written off his chances of ever being a Grand Tour contender again, but three and a half years after his life-threatening crash, he finally registered his first top-10 finish since the 2022 Vuelta. The game has changed considerably since Bernal won the Tour de France way back in 2019 — and indeed the 2021 Giro — but just being where he is now represents a huge achievement for the 28-year-old, even if he did tail off slightly. He couldn't have put it any better when he posted on social media: 'The art of knowing how to suffer has guided me down many paths. And all roads lead to Rome.' Duncan: I'm going to go for the Giro's social media admin, who had an absolutely storming three weeks. The Giro used to be a hyper-traditional Italian race but in recent years they have embraced English-language #content that walks the fine line of being informative and entertaining. Oh, and plenty of good regional recipes too. Really wanted to livetweet during the #UCLfinal but apparently it's not « ciclismo » smh For those watching the game, enjoy it! ⚫️🔵 — Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 31, 2025 Jacob: The answer is clearly Del Toro, but a word for two other riders. Mathias Vacek was brilliant for Lidl-Trek — the glue in their exceptional three weeks. His engine reminds me of a young Michal Kwiatkowski — it was a real shame he was not rewarded with a stage, but Pedersen's triumph on stage five was really the young Czech's doing. And the other I wanted to mention was Giulio Pellizzari, the 21-year-old Italian climber who was initially requisitioned in service of Primoz Roglic. It is not strictly accurate to call him the discovery of this Giro — he announced himself in different colours last year — but this was the year he announced himself as a GC contender. He finished sixth, but given the way he was climbing in the final week, I think he could have reached as high as fourth had he concentrated on the overall competition from the start. Chris: It has to be Del Toro. The comparisons with Pogacar feel both lazy and premature in some ways, yet the 21-year-old's style, maturity and general racecraft mean that it is not outlandish to contrast the Mexican with the all-time-great Slovenian. Tim: Del Toro took the limelight for differing reasons but, as Jacob said, another 21-year-old in Giulio Pellizzari also emerged as a star of the future with an exceptional final week. Advertisement Pellizzari emerged from Primoz Roglic's shadow to take the reins of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe in some style (with Jai Hindley having also departed early), jumping into the top 10 on the day Roglic went home, showing both the strength in depth of the team but also marking himself out as a potential future Grand Tour contender himself. Duncan: Max Poole was visibly upset to lose 13 minutes on stage 18 to Cesano Maderno, a result that ultimately cost the 22-year-old a top-10 finish. He performed admirably in the remaining stages, though, and was the last rider to finish before the Del Toro group on stage 20 to Sestriere. Poole has been in stellar form for his relegation-haunted Team Picnic PostNL team in 2025 and you suspect more successful teams have noticed his potential, even if he has a contract that runs to 2027. Poole deserves to be a World Tour rider next year. Jacob: I loved stage nine to Siena — it is always a treat to see the peloton go over the white roads of Tuscany, and the finish in the Piazza del Campo is probably the most beautiful view in cycling. There is a debate over whether gravel or cobbled stages belong in Grand Tours. For me, they have to stay in — this perfectly reshuffled the GC order without torpedoing it, and gave rise to Del Toro's magical two-week run in pink. And in terms of rewarding GC riders with a good engine… punctures be damned, I prefer it to a time trial. Chris: Stage 20 is the obvious answer because of the dramatic shake-up it caused and it made for a genuinely gripping spectacle. The 18.6km Colle delle Finestre, with an average gradient of 9.1 per cent, is a monster, hour-long climb and deserves to be on the route far more frequently going forward, given it had not featured since Yates cracked there seven years ago. Overall, the balance between time trials, as well as gravel, flat and mountainous terrain felt fair, although frontloading so many of the sprint stages, while keeping the GC battle alive until the end, did make for a few tedious days of racing. Tim: Overall, it wasn't the worst Grand Tour we've seen by any means but it took a while to get going, with the excitement spread pretty thin over the first couple of weeks partly owing to a dearth of mountain stages (three back-to-back sprint stages was a bit much). The route was geared towards a climactic finish, which is exactly what we got via the memorable stage 20. Duncan: I am enjoying how a stage into Naples is becoming a staple finish in the Giro. The roads are lumpy (and bumpy) and it always has the feel of a one-day classic. Talking of which, day three in Albania looked a bit like Milan-Sanremo, and that's no bad thing, is it? Jacob: Lidl-Trek. Six stage victories, a runaway triumph in the points classification for Mads Pedersen, and a breakout performance for Vacek. Daan Hoole and Carlos Verona's stage wins were nice bonuses. The only shame was that Giulio Ciccone had to withdraw after his stage 14 crash — he was well-positioned on GC and climbing well. I also appreciated how ProTeam Polti VisitMalta relentlessly attacked throughout. They show the value of participation for smaller, local teams — after Q36.5's disappointing Giro, it underscores why there will be many complaints about Kern Pharma's non-invitation to the Vuelta a Espana. Chris: Visma-Lease a Bike. Lidl-Trek did win more stages, but Visma claimed the GC victory, as well as second and third places in the points classification. More importantly, Yates has further increased the depth of potential Grand Tour leaders within Visma's ranks, while Van Aert is beginning to rediscover his best form and Olav Kooij is continuing to develop into a top-level sprinter. Kooij won two stages, including the final one into Rome, showing that he can perform under pressure. Advertisement Tim: It's not how you start, but it's how you finish. Visma-Lease A Bike somehow, one day after a public fall-out via Simon Yates saying their stage 19 plan was 'completely different' from what they actually did, got it all right to finish, getting Van Aert in the breakaway when others didn't bother and then getting the icing on their Giro cake with Kooij winning in Rome. As Van Aert said: 'It's like a ketchup bottle, you keep shaking (and) then suddenly everything comes out at once. That's what happened at our Giro.' Duncan: I mean, technically, UAE were the winners of the team classification, but it's really not them is it? Jayco–AlUla are an Australian team and had two Australian stage winners in the form of Luke Plapp and Chris Harper (the latter unfortunate to record his career-best performance in a stage where everyone was looking elsewhere). And their grey shorts are extremely aesthetically pleasing, too. Jacob: The number of crashes suffered by GC riders. Mikel Landa withdrew on the first stage after fracturing his back. Pre-race favourites Juan Ayuso and Primoz Roglic both abandoned after falls. Podium contender Ciccone was another. For key domestiques such as Jai Hindley and Jay Vine, the same. Antonio Tiberi, Egan Bernal, and Richard Carapaz all crashed more minorly, still completing the race. These crashes were not due to poor course design or dangerous riding — which means the apparent rise in incidents merits further investigation. Chris: Egan Bernal's inability to really challenge across the course of three weeks. The Colombian showed encouraging signs during the opening stages and looked like he may have made himself an outside contender for a podium position but, even though Ayuso, Landa and Roglic dropped out, Bernal still could only finish seventh. The 28-year-old has had a slow and painful journey back to Grand Tour leadership honours for INEOS Grenadiers since his crash in early 2022, but the Colombian still could not quite sustain a real tilt at top honours across the entire Giro. Tim: It was always a big ask for Tom Pidcock and the new Q36.5 to produce something special in their first Grand Tour together, but it was hard not to be slightly disappointed with Pidcock's lack of impact across the three weeks. He was the nearly man on three occasions, placing in the top five on three stages, but in GC he was 30 minutes off what would have been a difficult but achievable top-10 finish overall. Advertisement Duncan: I agree with Tim. Tom Pidcock came into the Giro saying he wasn't riding for general classification, then spent most of the race hovering in or around the top 10, seemingly hoping for… a decent position in the general classification. Yes, he was unlucky in the Siena stage, the one that suited him best, with a crash and a subsequent puncture but ahead of the Vuelta in August he surely needs to decide whether he is going for stages or an overall position — and which approach actually makes the most of his undoubted skill set. 💥 ROGLIC AND PIDCOCK GO DOWN! 🇦🇺 Lucas Hamilton slides from the lead of the peloton, and brings down with him the two riders, who both make it back on the road, but they trail behind @INEOSGrenadiers and @TeamEmiratesUAE #GirodItalia — Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 18, 2025 Jacob: This Giro was a horrible experience for Roglic — whose bid to take on Pogacar and Vingegaard, always a massive ask, now looks even more difficult. He will need to go home and lick his wounds. Elsewhere, if Simon Yates rides in support of Vingegaard, Visma could have one of the strongest climbing squads in race history. If reports emerging from the Sierra Nevada are correct, claiming the Dane is producing his all-time highest numbers, we could have some race in store in July. Chris: If Van Aert was using the Giro to get himself into shape for the Tour, then Vingegaard will be delighted by the performances of his Belgian team-mate. If Vingegaard is to overhaul Pogacar, he will require Van Aert's unique abilities and engine to do so. For Pogacar, however, he may have earned himself a further super-domestique or two, if one or both of Ayuso or Del Toro end up featuring in France as well. There feels little risk of the leadership lines being blurred as far as Pogacar's status is concerned, but having either of those prodigies on his team will make UAE even greater pre-race favourites. Tim: Of all the big names in the Giro who might play a role in the Tour, Van Aert's warm-up act in Italy is excellent news for Jonas Vingegaard. Duncan: UAE have still only ever won a Grand Tour with Pogacar, whereas Visma have now won four of the last seven with four different riders. Clearly, Pogacar is still the man to beat this summer, but the Dutch squad are reenergised and have an increasingly strong hand to play. Superdomestique Yates versus superdomestique Yates on the roads of France is just another subplot to throw into a heady mix next month. (Header photo:)
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
The Simon Yates lesson that Isaac del Toro must learn from unforgettable Giro d'Italia
One year on from Tadej Pogacar 's demolition job of the competition at his maiden Giro d'Italia, another young climber was having his moment in the sun. The comparisons were inevitable as soon as Isaac Del Toro appeared on the scene: lean, explosive, with a natural gift for spotting his moment, an obvious thrill for racing. But as the Mexican progressed through this Giro d'Italia it felt like the Tadej Pogacar comparisons weighed lightly on his shoulders. The 21-year-old seemed a changed figure from the wide-eyed figure who pulled on the maglia rosa in disbelief on stage nine, at the end of an audacious attack on one of the race's toughest stages, the gravel-dotted run into Siena. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider grew into the race, seeming to grow in confidence and stature with each day in head-to-toe pink. It proved difficult for the likes of Richard Carapaz to dislodge him as he marked every one of his rivals' moves, never missing a beat. He outlasted both Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates, in theory the squad's official co-leaders going into the race. There were echoes of another prodigious talent's youthful enthusiasm in his attacking racing style, and like with Pogacar's Tour de France in 2022, it proved insufficient to win the Giro d'Italia. Jumbo-Visma isolated Pogacar in the French Alps, wearing the Slovenian down through an all-out assault, as his tremendous efforts over the course of the race told and he finally buckled. A similar situation happened the following year. In Italy, Del Toro appeared at ease closing gaps when other GC contenders attacked, but there were raised eyebrows at his decision to do it all himself, rather than letting his teammates do the dirty work. Question marks remain over UAE Team Emirates' tactics at this race, from their unwillingness to throw the full weight of the squad behind one or the other of del Toro and Ayuso when the Mexican was in the ascendancy, to the failure to work to bring back Yates on the Colle delle Finestre, instead letting the race win ride away into the clouds. Ironically, it was partially a reversion to conservative tactics that cost Del Toro the win – but his exhaustion on the penultimate stage will only have been compounded by the unnecessary energy he spent earlier in the race. Inevitably, Del Toro will be back; his class and ability were apparent as a youngster and have only been emphasised by his near two-week stint in the pink jersey. He is the youngest podium finisher at the Giro since Fausto Coppi 85 years ago, and second on his Giro debut. Grand Tour wins are in his future. But rather than youthful enthusiasm and star power, this Giro was won on patience and experience. Simon Yates raced his 2018 Giro in the aggressive way Del Toro began his stint in pink, before cracking spectacularly with the finish line in sight, losing 38 minutes on the Finestre as he watched Chris Froome ride away to glory. This time Yates, 21st on stage one, kept a low profile until the last possible moment. It was a win seven years in the making. While Del Toro stole the show for much of this race, and the complex politics among UAE's young cohort of starlets made for drama, this race was one for a generation of old-timers. Comparatively, at least. For Primoz Roglic, the overwhelming pre-race favourite, it was a disappointment. In his last twelve Grand Tours, going back to his maiden Vuelta victory in 2019, he has either finished on the podium (seven times) or abandoned the race (five). But this was the redemption tour for the 32-year-old Simon Yates; the exhilarating comeback of 28-year-old Egan Bernal, seventh on GC in Rome and back to attacking ways, three years on from the crash that nearly killed him; the unexpected renaissance of one of cycling's canniest racers, 32-year-old Richard Carapaz. Last year's Giro was a story of untempered dominance, of one of the most brilliant riders to ever grace the sport. This year's was a story of romance, of incredible perseverance, of a rider returning triumphant to the scene of one of his lowest moments. On the other side, it was a story of a young man with the hopes of an entire nation on his shoulders, making history for Mexico and breaking new ground. Lit up by the attacks of the 2019 and 2021 winners, won by a rider who may have thought his chances of another victory at the corsa rosa had passed him by, and the scene of Del Toro's coming of age, this Giro was the sport's past, present and future, all in one.
The National
7 days ago
- General
- The National
UAE Team Emirates star Juan Ayuso quits Giro d'Italia after being stung in the eye by a bee
UAE Team Emirates star Juan Ayuso has been forced to quit the Giro d'Italia after being stung in the eye by a bee. Ayuso, who saw his bid for overall glory wilt in recent days, endured more rotten luck on Thursday when the bee crawled inside his glasses and stung him in the eye ahead of Stage 18. Ayuso's face quickly swelled up leaving him unable to see out of his right eye. 'Obviously this is not how I wanted my Giro to end but some things are out of my control,' said Ayuso. 'I wish the guys all the best and hope [teammate] Isaac [Del Toro] can keep pink all the way to Rome.' Despite advice from the UAE Team Emirates doctors to sit out Thursday's stage, he attempted to ride before being forced to retire on the side of the road. 'It's going to go viral but a bee went inside my helmet and I can't see in my right eye,' said Ayuso ahead of his aborted attempt to ride. 'I don't want people to make captions of it, because I know it is going to go viral, but it is what it is. 'And I will try to, you know … the team doctor said it's best for me not to start, but I really want to try and give my best to be here for the team. 'Yesterday, I was not useful at all because I am feeling really bad. But you know, I hope I can recover for the next days. I am going to try and get past today.' Ayuso had started the Giro with high hopes of overall victory in General Classification as he led the UAE Team Emirates challenge in the absence of star rider Tadej Pogacar. The Spaniard, 22, was widely regarded as one of the leading contenders in what was his debut in the three-week Grand Tour race that finishes this Sunday in Rome. That challenge has failed to materialise, however, with him suffering on the Giro's many punishing climbs. On Wednesday's Stage 17, he limped across the line in 141st place, more than 30 minutes behind, as teammate Isaac Del Toro soared to stage victory and solidified his grip on the maglia rosa.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Giro d'Italia Stage 11 preview: Chance for escapees or GC contenders to stamp authority on hilly stage
The 2025 Giro d'Italia heads back into the hills with a tough outing in the Apennines, which could yet see a further shakeup of the general classification. It's officially classed as a 'hilly' rather than mountainous stage, but the 186km run from Viareggio to Castelnovo ne' Monto features 3,850m of elevation and gain and a behemoth of a climb in the category one Alpe San Pellegrino, which last featured in the Giro 25 years ago. Advertisement Like many of the major climbs in this year's race it comes halfway through the stage, with its slopes averaging 8.8% for 13.7km but ramping up to a hideous 19% on its upper reaches. It's the first major climb of the day after a lumpy first 80km and we could see a replay of stage eight, with a frantic early battle to get into the breakway before an escape group eventually settles down on a climb. From the Alpe there's a long, descent and a bumpy final 60km, with a couple of category two ascents at Toano and Pietra di Bismantova, the latter in the final 5km, which could tee up a dramatic finish. The Red Bull sprint comes at the top of another peaklet, at Villa Minozzo, 24km from the finish, so any attacker on the Toano climb could stay away to nab some crucial bonus seconds. The last 5km features plenty of sharp corners, including one just before an 8% ramp shortly before 2km to go. After that the riders tackle a short, sharp descent before a gradually rising 4% final kilometre with a right-hander 250m before the finish. An uphill sprint makes it prime Tom Pidcock territory, but expect a fierce battle to get up the road in this one and potential splits in the general classification too. If reigning champion Tadej Pogacar was here he'd be attacking on the biting upper slopes of the Alpe and doing a 90km solo to the finish - but we can probably rule out any of the GC hopefuls doing that. Route map and profile Giro d'Italia – stage 11 map ( Giro d'Italia – stage 11 profile ( Start time Stage 11 starts at 12.05pm local time (11.05am BST) and it set to finish at 5.30pm local time (4.30pm BST). Prediction Today looks like a good day for a breakaway, but who has the legs at this point in the race, and who is far enough down on GC to be let go? Advertisement Max Poole did well to shave a minute off his time deficit on Tuesday's time trial and now sits four minutes down, but is likely to still be targeting GC. Could Romain Bardet be let off the leash again today? Luke Plapp had a less stellar outing in the time trial but took a brilliant victory on stage eight and may fancy another on similar uphill terrain. The likes of Nicolas Prodhomme, Andrea Vendrame, and Wout Poels may all fancy it, while UAE have so much strength in depth they could test Roglic by sending a satellite up the road in search of glory.
Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
Isaac del Toro reviving legacy of Latin America's finest at Giro d'Italia
Tadej Pogacar was so distinct at last year's Giro d'Italia that they may as well have painted the Pink Jersey and all the sponsors' names on to the Slovenian's body. He took the race lead on the second stage and kept it all the way to Rome. In Pogacar's absence, at UAE Team Emirates XRG and in the peloton at large, the 2025 Giro is volatile. After nine days of racing, we have seen Mads Pedersen and Primoz Roglic in pink, then Pedersen and Roglic again, followed by Diego Ulissi and Isaac del Toro. Del Toro, 21, is the first Mexican to lead the Giro, despite not being the lead youngster on his team. Juan Ayuso, the 22-year-old Spaniard, was fourth in the general
