
Few riders were so much in demand for interviews at the Volta a Catalunya start on Monday as Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), whose brilliant early start to the 2025 season in France and Italy has caused a major spike in expectations about his chances of possible stage racing success this week on home soil, too.
"There are some major rivals here but the Volta is one of the big goals of the season," the up-and-coming Spanish racer said before stage 1 got underway. "I haven't raced here for a long time, but I know that if I want to win, I'll need to be at my absolute best."