One is a former Volta a Catalunya winner, the other has one of the best track records of victories this spring. So it's no small wonder that as the Volta a Catalunya heads into the high mountains on Wednesday, UAE Team Emirates-XRG are intent on using both Adam Yates and Juan Ayuso as joint GC candidates.
Ayuso, having picked up a three-second time bonus on stage 2, is currently lying fifth overall, 13 seconds down on race leader Matthew Brennan (Jumbo-Lease a Bike). Yates was caught on the wrong side of a late split on the rain-soaked finale to stage 1. But he remains in contention, just 18 seconds further back and 31 down on the race leader on GC. Both have more than enough experience to justify their status, with Yates the overall winner of Volta a Catalunya four years ago at the head of a three-rider Grand Slam for his then team, Ineos Grenadiers.
