Juan Ayuso Strikes Back | Vuelta a España Stage 7 Analysis & Stage 8 Preview | THEMOVE+

Summary

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THEMOVE Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Title: Juan Ayuso Strikes Back | Vuelta a España Stage 7 Analysis & Stage 8 Preview
Date: August 29, 2025
Hosts: Lance Armstrong (A), Spencer Martin (B), guest Johan Bruyneel

This episode of THEMOVE dives deep into Stage 7 of the 2025 Vuelta a España, highlighted by Juan Ayuso’s dramatic comeback victory. The hosts break down Ayuso’s bold tactics, the shifting dynamics within UAE-Team Emirates, GC rivalries, and preview the upcoming Stage 8 sprint. The discussion offers insider tactical insights, behind-the-scenes team psychology, and big-picture implications of recent results—with the trademark candid and conversational style.

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Stage 7 Recap: Ayuso’s Masterclass

Ayuso’s Attack and Solo Effort

• Early Move: Ayuso attacks from the very beginning of the 24km opening climb, knowing he wouldn't be let into the break by others.
  • “He thought, I will be the break. You can’t miss the move if you are the move.” – Spencer Martin [00:58]
• Relentless Pacing: “He just did everything by himself. For him to do that whole climb by himself and then still have enough left in the final to go away from the breakaway, that's impressive.” – Johan Bruyneel [02:11]
• Tactical Breakdown: Mads Pedersen animates the race by chasing for points, Jay Vine sprints for KOM, but Ayuso detonates the group at the final climb and wins solo.

Team Dynamics at UAE

• Team Chemistry Questioned: Ayuso’s reputation as a teammate is discussed; is he viewed fairly?
  • “We said yesterday he’s not a team player. I still think he’s not a great team player. But what do we know? … I think it’s just social media who are getting sucked into that debate.” – Johan [04:40]
• Intra-squad Praise: “I heard also that Almeida was very complimentary of Ayuso after the stage. There must be… the whole Ayuso debate… I think it’s mostly on social media.” – Johan [05:00]
• Team Morale: UAE’s three consecutive stage wins set a positive tone.
  • “The ambience at the dinner table at UAE is through the roof.” – Johan [08:28]
  • “Do not underestimate the vibes!” – Spencer [08:46]

Impact on the General Classification (GC)

• Almeida’s Position: Joao Almeida is highlighted as the likely GC leader for UAE, with Ayuso and Vine emerging as valuable support assets.

  • “It looks to me more and more that Almeida is going to be the big challenger for Jonas Vingegaard, together with Ciccone for the moment.” – Johan [03:45]

• UAE’s Pressure (or Lack Thereof): “Almeida has no pressure… They’re the best team in the world, they won the Tour, whatever they do it’s going to be fine.” – Johan [09:20]

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Key Tactical and Psychological Insights

Breakaway vs. GC Racing

• Stage Profile: Highest elevation gained of the 2025 Vuelta—toughest overall climbing day so far [05:22].
• Visma’s Strategy: The choice to cede the red jersey is praised for making others shoulder the work.
  • “You start to see the wisdom of giving the jersey away… that was a good idea from Visma.” – Spencer [12:42]
• Relative Conservatism: “At the end of the day, he’s a good rider, right?… This was actually the stage with the highest elevation of the whole Tour of Spain.” – Johan [05:21]

Climb Dynamics & GC Rivalries

• Steep Climb Paradox: Even on steep finishes, when the top contenders are closely matched, big time gaps rarely open.
  • “What happens on really steep climbs when people are close to the same fitness? You don’t see big gaps.” – Spencer [13:44]
• Leader Conservatism: “If we wanted, we could have fought for the stage win today, but we want to save the team for the second and third week.” – Johan, quoting Jonas Vingegaard [14:29]
• Rider Relationships: Almeida vs. Vingegaard tension under the surface; Almeida’s “dig” about Jonas not pulling noted as something that would be overblown at the Tour [15:06]

Teammate Decisions on the Final Climb

• Sep Kuss Tactics: Questioned for pulling Egan Bernal back to the lead group rather than forcing Bernal to do more work, possibly not acting in an ideal support role for Visma.
  • “If you drop there, you’re not going to do much… The only thing you can hope is it slows down.” – Johan [17:23]
• Mark Soler’s Attack: Typical unpredictable Soler, attacking for no clear reason instead of supporting Almeida.
  • “That was not a good attack… Mar is never done, you know, and definitely not in the Vuelta.” – Johan [20:12]

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Ayuso: A Star in Flux

What Happened Yesterday?

• Form Questions: Ayuso clarified in interviews that he came to the Vuelta without specific preparation, seeing how his form would be; possibly explaining his “bad day” previously [23:43].
• Psychology of Champions: Armstrong and Bruyneel discuss whether true Grand Tour champions are willing to “just let the wheel go” or if that becomes a mental problem.
  • “I want to see you suffer to finish 40 seconds back as opposed to I’m not even trying, I’m going to sit up and finish eight minutes back. Once that’s an option, it’s hard to take it off the table.” – Spencer [27:29]

Rumors and the Transfer Market

• Floating to Lidl-Trek?: Rumors about Ayuso leaving UAE are discussed, pointing out his long-term contract (to 2028), making a transfer unlikely without major buyout negotiations [27:46].
• On Jumbo-Sized Contracts: Both warn about the pitfalls of five-year deals.
  • “Don’t sign five-year deals. Sign two-year deals… Not five-year deals.” – Johan [28:14]
• Transfer Market Reality: There’s always “an open market,” but the €100 million buyout talk is dismissed as legal fantasy [30:03].

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Tour de l'Avenir and Young Talent [31:03]

• The hosts highlight Paul Seixas’ win at the U23 Tour de l’Avenir, discussing the rise of very young top talent.
  • “The top three… are 18 years old. The majority of the top 20 were all super young.” – Johan [33:21]
• Notable: Pablo Torres' comeback after injury.

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Stage 8 Preview – Sprint Showdown [36:11]

• Stage Profile: Classic sprint stage, slightly uphill finish—rare chance for sprinters.
• Favorites:
  • Jasper Philipsen (heavy favorite)
  • Ethan Vernon
  • Mads Pedersen
  • Ben Turner (the “budget Pedersen,” dark horse)
• Hosts’ Picks:
  • Johan: Jasper Philipsen, with Pedersen as a wildcard
  • Spencer: Ethan Vernon, but likes Turner at long odds

Betting/Classification Talk

• KOM classification: Jay Vine favored for King of the Mountains.
• Young Rider: Ricatello vs. Junior Leserv—Riccatello favored due to experience.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Team Vibes:
  "The ambience at the dinner table at UAE is through the roof... Do not underestimate the vibes!” – Johan & Spencer [08:28][08:45]

• On Ayuso’s Ride:
  “He thought, I will be the break. You can’t miss the move if you are the move.” – Spencer [00:58]

• On Cycling Contracts:
  “Don’t sign five-year deals. Sign two-year deals… Not five-year deals.” – Johan [28:14]

• On Grand Tour Mentality:
  "I want to see you suffer to finish 40 seconds back as opposed to I’m not even trying, I’m going to sit up and finish eight minutes back... Once that’s an option, it’s hard to take it off the table." — Spencer [27:29]

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Episode Timeline

• 00:00 – Almeida and Ayuso’s form; opening race context
• 00:24 – Stage 7 summary, Ayuso’s tactics, break analysis
• 02:04 – Bruyneel analysis: Ayuso’s performance, UAE’s GC choices
• 05:21 – Stage elevation stats, Ayuso’s team image
• 08:25 – Team morale at UAE, tactical position in GC
• 12:36 – Bahrain & Visma jersey tactics, Train in red
• 13:44 – Climbing dynamics, GC speculations, group finishes
• 15:02 – Almeida-Vingegaard rivalry, subtle quote analysis
• 17:00 – Sep Kuss’ teammate choices, Bernal's place in the group
• 20:06 – Mark Soler's unpredictable move
• 23:43 – Ayuso’s “bad day” explained, mentality of champions
• 27:46 – Ayuso transfer rumors, cycling’s contract culture
• 31:03 – Tour de l’Avenir recap, youth talent in cycling now
• 36:11 – Stage 8 sprint preview, betting angles
• 39:30 – Brief KOM and Young Rider standings discussion
• 41:50 – Looking ahead to next pod, weekend stage TV

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Takeaways

• Ayuso “strikes back” with tactical brilliance: His solo attack and breakaway win highlight resilience, class, and savvy, but questions persist about his GC mentality and teammate profile.
• UAE is flying, but will the “everyone gets fed” approach shift as the GC battle heats up?
• GC status quo held on Stage 7, but tension is brewing—especially between Almeida and Vingegaard.
• Youth movement: The Tour de l’Avenir confirms that the next generation is arriving even younger and stronger.
• **Stage 8’s expected sprint offers a brief GC respite; look for Philipsen, Pedersen, and value in wildcards like Turner or Vernon.
• Big picture: Race is delicately poised, with Visma, UAE, and Bahrain all playing a long game—and the podcast continues to provide “ultimate insider” perspectives fused with humor and candor.

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End of Summary

(All times MM:SS per provided transcript. Quotes attributed per speaker + timestamp.)

Transcript

[A]

I think Almeida looks in a good spot. I mean, he said himself that he feels great. Ayuso also said that. And actually Jay vine also said in one of his interviews that Almeida is on great form. So, I mean, having those two teammates say that publicly means that within the team they know that Almeida is in great shape.

[B]

Everybody, welcome back to the Move. I'm Spencer Martin. I'm here with Johan Bruneil. We are breaking down stage seven of the Vuelta Espana won by Juana Uso. A resurgent Juana USO back from the dead from the breakaway. Marco Frigo in second. And then the GC group minutes behind again. Tom Pitcock led it home. 2 minutes 35 seconds back. Torsten Train still holds the red jersey. No time lost to Jonas Vagaard and Joel Almeida a little bit. Just mini tiny GC fireworks on the final climb. But again, another conservative breakaway. Dominant stage at the vta. And then at the end we will predict stage eight, tomorrow's stage eight, and who will win. So stick around for that. But Johan right up top. I mean, I guess here I'll give a brief, brief, brief summary of the stage. It starts, it's. It's suddenly broadcast start to finish. I did not see that coming, but want to use a 24 kilometer long climb. Attacks from the beginning. Johan, you told me that he did it because he knew he wouldn't be allowed in the break. So he thought, I will be the break. You can't miss the move if you are the move. He just, it was an unbelievable effort. He just is on the gas the entire time up this. It's like a 4 and a half, 5% climb. Crest the climb, but not much of a gap. Who's. Who's chasing him but Mr. Mads Pedersen. And then Pedersen pulls a group up. They connect with them. Once Pedersen is up there, he can blow the gap open because he's going for those bonus sprint points. At the base of the final climb, the group kind of Jay vine is in there as well. He's sprinting for KOM points. He's driving the pace a bit. And they get to the base of the final climb. A gets those sprint points and Ayuso says, see you later. Attacks, drops. Everybody wins the stage. But Johan, what is your take of.

[A]

The day take of the day? Well, first of all, Ayuso did a great stage. We still don't know what happened yesterday, but this guy was obviously on good form today. It's true that it's different winning a stage from a breakaway, but if you look at his Performance today, man, the first hour, he just did everything by himself. He was. I mean, and I, I said yesterday on, on the podcast, I said Porto Canto is. Is a very annoying climb. It's, you know, proper for. For breakaways. For him to do that whole climb by himself and the effort he put in and then still have enough left in the final to. To go away from. From the breakaway. That's. That's impressive. And also, if you look at his performance on the last climb, he didn't lose that much time on the group of favorites. Okay. It's true that the group of favorites, there was no continuous pace. It was attacking, slowing down again. But I mean, I listened to his interview afterwards. He was, I mean, he was happy with the stage win. Obviously treats three stages in a row for uae, by the way. That's. That's quite the performance. Yeah, one team win, two stages in a row, team time trial. And then Jay vine yesterday, today, I uso. But yeah, he said, you know, he said he attacked and he. He had to do the first hour basically in front. He said he knew that what. That's what he had to do to be in the break because nobody would let him go. So he had to be ahead of the breakaway when the breakaway was formed. So obviously he's out of gc. I'm a bit. I mean, obviously it's. Listen, it's nice for him to win a stage, to bounce back after disappointment. It's great to win a stage. I hope that UAE also will put him now in. In a helper's role, because it looks to me more and more that Almeida is going to be the big challenger for Jonas Vingegaard, together with Chikone for the moment. But, you know, he needs people around him and, and I used to, as one of those guys who could potentially be very crucial when. When they're on, not for the next stages, but you know, on a mountain finish. And, and yeah, listen, great win for him. You know, we. We said yesterday he's not a team player. I still think he's not a great team player. But what do we know? You know, we don't know what's going on within the team. I heard also that Almeida was very complimentary of Ayuso after the stage. There must be. I mean, personally, I think that the whole Ayuso debate about whether he's a great teammate, whether he wants to leave the team, whether this or that, I think it's just we. If I say we, it's mostly on social media who are getting Sucked into that debate and probably within the team, it's actually not so much the case. That's what I think is happening and obvious course, you know, it makes for great titles and great newspapers and. But listen, at the end of the day, he's a good writer, right?

[B]

He's.

[A]

He won a great. This was actually. This was actually the stage with the highest elevation of the whole Tour of Spain today.

[B]

Like the most elevation gained or the highest finish.

[A]

Most. Most elevation gained of the whole Tour of Spain today. Yeah.

[B]

Doesn't bode well for the.

[A]

Well, it's. I mean, you know, we have stages where the last climb is a lot harder and there will be more difference. But if you, you know, the overall toughness of the gained elevation over the stage today was the hardest one.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah, I. I should say what. Yeah. Impressive, right. From Juan. So no notes on the stage win today. I mean, watching him just. It's a. It's a drag. It's not really a climb. Just like. Like to motor of the drag like that, you have to be so strong. Great win. I think he's a good guy. Like, I don't like. You watch. Like, if you just watch these interactions between him and the teammates, they seem like great guys. Like, I don't think personally that's what.

[A]

I say, you know, we. We don't know what's going on with the team. I mean, I've. I've, I've. I've experienced those kind of situations myself. Criticism from outside towards the team. And yes, there are certain things that happen, but it's. It's always a lot less than how it's inflated in the media.

[B]

Yes. And that. What I will say, however, having said that, UA kind of reminds me of NATO. You know, it's like this alliance where you're like, yeah, we're kind of aligned, but like, are you trying to steal Greenland from us? Where it's switchy today where they felt a little spread out. It ultimately didn't matter. Almeida was great, but he did attack on the final climb and it's like, well, he's got two teammates at the road, I guess, who in theory could help set up this attack. It's like it doesn't really matter that they're not there, but they're all spread out. And I assume, Johan, at some point, is this like you're letting them. Vine wins yesterday, I wins today. Everyone's eating healthy in the first week and then do they kind of coalesce around Almeida later in the race? Is that the idea?

[A]

I mean, I would think so. Let's say for the moment it's also the case that UAE is not carrying the weight of the race. I mean if you look today for example, it's either it was the team of the leader of Thorsten Train Bahrain who was in charge or in certain situations it's Visma who clearly accepts the role of being the big favorite of this Tour of Spain. So UAE is kind of, you know, they're in a freelance role. Listen, winning three stages in a row, I mean let me tell you for the morale of the team in a Vuelta, which is already. It's the last big grand tour of the season, motivation is key, you know, in this, in a three week stage race in September. So I mean any, any team that would win three stages in a Grand Tour is already super happy. And we're in week one, they won three stages.

[B]

So yeah, from now on seven, let.

[A]

Me tell you, the ambience at the dinner table at UAE is through the roof. I mean it's, I mean we can say whatever we want about UAE and yeah, you know, they're not riding together. There's this guy's not a good teammate. I mean the laughs at and, and the ambience at, at the team dinner is amazing.

[B]

Yeah, I think I keep repeating this throughout the year but the vibes, the vibes have got to be good. Do not underestimate the vibes. There is something to be said for that. Just go out, get these wins. Everyone's feeling up, motivated. We also should mention Jay vine leading the Kom probably will will the win the KM if he really wants to. That I would assume this all takes pressure off Almeida, is that correct? Like you just keep winning stages. It's like now it's not like, you know, kind of Visma, at times of the Tour it does feel like they're all staring at you and it's like you're gonna win this because we've no. Sacrificed a lot. That's the case.

[A]

That's the case. I mean I don't think Almeida has any pressure. You know, he's, it's just up to him to be good in the, in the, in the hard uphill finishes and in the time trial. But you know, as a team, they don't have to, they don't have the pressure. I mean they don't have the, I mean they're the best team in the world. They've. They won the Tour. They have no pressure. You know, whatever they do, it's going to be fine. Of course they want to win this, but it's not like, you know, dead or alive. Right. So. So, yeah, I mean, I think Almeida looks in. Is in a good spot. I mean, he. He said himself that he feels great. Ayuso also said that. And, and actually Jay vine also said in one of his interviews that Almeida is on great form. So, I mean, having those two teammates say that publicly means that within the team they know that Almeida is in great shape.

[B]

He looks amazing.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like. Yeah.

[A]

He also said that he expected the last climb to be harder, which also tells you that, hey, I'm feeling good. Because, yeah, let's, let's. Let's be honest. The last climb there was a lot of riders together still, mainly because it slowed down a bit and they were looking at each other, but it was basically a small bunch print on top.

[B]

Yeah. Well, let's take a quick ad break and then I have a few questions for you about that funnel climb. A few things we saw. We'll be. We'll be right back, everybody. This episode is brought to you by Caldera Lab. Guys, wouldn't you like to look a little bit younger? Maybe get a few more compliments on your skin or just feel more confident when you look in the mirror? That's exactly what Caldera Lab is here for. Their high performance skincare is designed specifically for men. Simple, effective, and backed by science. In a consumer study, 100% of men said their skin looks smoother and healthier after using it.

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

And so it will be now in the next stages, they. Yeah, Bahrain will defend this.

[B]

Yeah, it's just you really start to see like. Yeah, no, that was a good idea from Visma. They really.

[A]

Yeah, because. And, and on top of that, Spencer, you know, I mean, their leader at the start, Antonio T. Has lost a lot of time. He's. I think he's 14. He lost 14 minutes or something. Or, or 10 or 11. Anyway, he's out of his.

[B]

Almost 15 minutes he lost today.

[A]

Yeah. So obviously that's their goal now also. I mean, it's going to hang on as long as they can. And this guy, I mean, he's riding pretty well, you know, I mean, he can be, he can. I mean, he's not going to be on the podium. I don't think so. But he could be up there, you know, he could be fifth, sixth, seventh, who knows? I mean this, this guy's discovering him today. He did a great climb.

[B]

Really good climb. Look, looked, looked very good also.

[A]

We have to say though, today's climb is nothing compared to the steep, hard climbs that they're going to face in the second part of, of the, of the Vuelta.

[B]

I have a question for you on that. I've been thinking about and we've been talking, everyone's talking about these climbs, but what happens on really steep climbs when people are close to the same fitness? You don't see big gaps.

[A]

No. That, you know, you don't. No. You don't.

[B]

Like, think of the last time we went to the Angular Loo. We didn't. Vindergaard finished with Roglic. Correct. And Kuss was not that far behind.

[A]

Is it correct? Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. So it does make me wonder. I mean, I think Torsten Train probably will get dropped on those climbs. I don't think he'll be there for sure.

[A]

He will.

[B]

These, these riders that are close to the same level, it can be hard to actually pull out a lot of time on these ultra steep finishes.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. And also, I mean, you know, if one of the, one of the things that I also saw is that Jonas, he said on Eurosport, actually, he said if we wanted, we could have fought for the win, the sort of stage win today, but we want to save the team for the second and third week. So it's clear that they have a long term strategy and don't want to waste any, any bullets unnecessary.

[B]

What did you think of Almeida's attack on the final climb? Was that just testing?

[A]

You know, he had to. I mean, he could try. I also, I also was. That was actually telling. So there's, there is this rivalry, lack of like love, hate, relationship. I mean, they don't. UAE doesn't like Visma and Visma doesn't like uae. And today, for example, could also see, you know, Almeida doesn't like Jonas. He said, you know, while Jonas doesn't pull very often anyways, he either follows or he attacks. When he was asked the question, when he attacked, you know, if he had, if he had expected Jonas to collaborate, he was, I mean, he was, he said, well, he didn't really have to, which is correct. You know, that's their strategy. So. But you could see it was like a little under the skin dig to Jonas, which, for example, this is also the difference. Like if this is the Vuelta and I'm pretty sure that almost nobody will pick up on this, if this quote is in the Tour, it is three pages. It is a three page article. Like, yeah, you know, Poga criticizes yonas, they don't like each other, blah, blah, blah.

[B]

You know, yeah, it is. I mean there was. Maybe he's past this. But like old Almeida, like potentially gets dropped on those steep sections and then has to chase back on. So like when he's going like that, I'm like, yeah, maybe that's good. Like he has, he rides his own pace. Maybe his own pace is fast right now. Go ahead and do it. And then I have another question for you. He gets, he gets pulled in. Vindegaard sitting on the wheel. He's not going anywhere. He sits up. Sepkus, who is dropped by the initial surge, comes back on with Egan Bernal on his wheel and then attacks. And would the move, the pure teammate move, would it not be a maybe don't pull Egan Bernal back. Maybe let Egan Bernal take some polls and then once you're up there, maybe just get to the front and go as hard as you can. Setting up?

[A]

Yes, that's something we've seen already from Sepkus in other occasions. Actually, I didn't really understand the move either. I personally think that. Well, for, for the moment it's clear. For the moment it's, it's Jonas and Almeida and Chicone, the three strongest guys, whenever they go for it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

On the climbs or. Jonas has probably not come full gas yet. And then you had Sepkus and Bernal just behind. Sepkus was. Obviously was too fast for him. I would have said, okay, sit on the wheel of Bernal, let him bring it back. You know, if. If you drop there, you're not going to do much and you. The only thing you can hope is that it slows down. But the attack of Sepkus, okay, you could say, well, it puts Almeida in a position that he has to close it down. But I don't know if at this point, if Sepkus is really seen as a threat for the win. I mean, this is not the same Sepkus that we saw two years ago when he won the Vuelta, was it two years ago?

[B]

Yeah, two. Two years ago.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Um, so, I mean, he's. He's obviously a lot better than last year. He's in. He's in good shape, but he's not in super shape. I think so, Yeah, I would say. I mean, I'm. I think the same. Spencer, let Bernal do the work and then when you get back, set the tempo for Jonas because it's clear that the whole visma strategy is you, Jonas, only Jonas, or that's the way it should be, at least.

[B]

Yeah. I don't know. Yeah, it's not the first time we've seen it either. It makes me wonder if he thinks if he's going for his own gc. Another kind of perplexing.

[A]

I don't, I don't think, I don't think. I don't think. I don't think he goes.

[B]

I think that's just. How is that his instinct then? Just like he sees it, he sees it slow and he goes, well, yeah.

[A]

I mean, it puts the others, the other teams, I mean, nobody had a teammate, so you could say, well, if I attack. The thing is, first of all, if you got dropped and you attack, you know you're not gonna make it to the finish.

[B]

Yeah. And everyone else knows that too, is the problem.

[A]

And so. But it puts the other. I mean, the other riders without a teammate in the position that they have to close it down. So it was up to Almeida and Chikone to close the gap.

[B]

Yeah, but Chicone jumped right on it. And then you're in the bad position of. Sepkus has now launched Ciccone and Jonas is behind and he's like, well, yeah.

[A]

But you know what, Spencer? Okay, we're trying to complicate things. Too much. I think when you see how Jonas was responding easily to the accelerations of both Almeida and Chicone, doesn't really matter, you know, I mean, it's up to the other guys to, to, to attack. So, I mean, no, I mean, we're reading too much into it, I think.

[B]

Well, this is all taking us to the major question of the day. Why did Mark Soler attack inside the final clone?

[A]

That's different. That's different. It was typical Mark Soler fashion. First of all, listen to his credit, amazing lead out or setting the temple in typical marxilaire style for Joel Almeida, you know, he, he went faster and faster and then Almeida attacked. Normally would say, okay, he's done. Mar is never done, you know, he. And definitely not in the Vuelta. He just keeps going. Yeah, I mean, I don't, I don't. That, that was not. That was not a good attack. I mean, it was. He got five seconds finally. But what does it matter at this point? I think at this point if you. And these kind of instructions shouldn't even come from the car. Mark Soler is experienced enough.

[B]

I know. Okay, weirdest part.

[A]

What's that?

[B]

It's the weirdest part of it.

[A]

It's like, yeah, Almeida's the leader. Ayuso and Jay vine are up front. So they're not gonna do anything for Omeyda. So stay with your leader, man. Just stay there. Try to stay there in case something happens because the last part of the climb was faster. There could be gaps. There's, you know, if there's a bigger bunch, why do you attack? I mean, he got five seconds. That doesn't matter. You know, he's not going to finish on the podium of the Vuelta.

[B]

The only thing I can think of is teams, classification.

[A]

No, no, no, that makes sense.

[B]

It was.

[A]

That makes no sense. I mean, no. Makes no sense.

[B]

Well, let's take a second ad break and then I have some more questions for you on, on one of you. So. Because I'm obsessed. And then we will preview stage eight. Hey, everybody. This episode is brought to you by Manu Kora Honey. Are you looking for something simple and delicious to add to your wellness routine? Well, look no further because Manu Kora Honey will change your life. It has changed mine, that's for sure. I used. I am throwing this honey into everything that I used to, but I am feeling better. Tea, breakfast bowls, protein shakes, even salad dressings. It's rich, creamy, and has a deep, complex flavor that makes you want to eat it straight off the spoon. And my kids Love it too. We're all hammer and monocore when we wake up. But seriously, I. I'm doing a spoonful that I'm getting on the peloton. I'm watching the VTA stages and I feel less hungry during the day and I'm snacking less. And what really sets Manukora apart is what's inside. It's packed with powerful nutrients that support immunity and gut health, thanks to the bioactive rich nectar the bees collect from the manuka tea tree in New Zealand, where the Manukora farm is. It even contains a unique antibacterial compound called mgo. And every harvest is third party tested. So you know exactly what you're getting and you're in luck because it's easier than ever to try Manukura Honey. Just head to manukora.com themove to save up to 31 plus 25 with the free gifts with this. With the starter kit which comes with an MGO850 plus Manukura honey jar, five honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon and a guidebook. I can personally vouch all these things are amazing. I love just looking at the guidebook. That's manukora.com the move. The link is in the show notes to save 31% plus $25 worth of free gifts. All right, back to the episode. So Johan just to to circle back to put a bow on Ao. He wins the stage. Looks fantastic. Massive effort on. On that first climb. What does that tell us about what happened yesterday when he got dropped? What was that about?

[A]

I think Ayuso re re confirmed today in the interview that he knew before the start of this welta that he hadn't prepared it specifically, that he was going to see how it went. He kind of had doubts about his overall form. I mean, listen, if Ayuso today is. If Ayuso is in contention for gc, he's not going to have this freedom today too. Although he did a great performance. I mean, he was pretty firm on the fact that he's not in top shape and that he was just going for the win. I think it's a great bounce back. I mean, it's amazing. You know, yesterday, super, super defeat. Maybe we are the ones who are most disappointed. He's probably less disappointed because as a rider you kind of know where you are. So I think he was expecting something like this. And I mean he proves that he's a high quality rider. I mean he has the, you know, the top pedigree. We all know that he's still young And. And now to win a stage in the. In the world, probably it's maybe not going to be his last stage win. Yeah, I mean, but that's not what's.

[B]

Being paid for, I guess, is the problem.

[A]

Yeah, right. Well, I. I think Juana Yousso is getting paid for the potential that, you know, let's not forget, when he turned Pro, he was 19 years old, finished third. I think he was the first teenager to ever finish. I'm probably not the first teenager, but.

[B]

I think, yeah, it's fun to see. I do kind of wonder if it's not true, but it's a fun thing to say. At the time, it definitely stood out as unique. So we'll just. We'll just crown him. He's the first teenager ever finished on the Grand Tour at the va. Yeah, the. But you're like, you're so. You're the GC king, right? You. You know more about GC riding, winning than almost anybody.

[A]

Well, I know nothing today. Well, today cycling's different.

[B]

I was something I don't think has changed. I curious to get your take on this. How many big champions who, like, go on to win a lot of Grand Tours? The thing that I just can't get past is could you see them just letting the wheel go? Like, I'm not on a great day. I'm gonna sit up. Like, logically, sure, that's the right move if you want to win stages, but I don't know, think about the way some of these guys are wired, like Tade, like Jonas. They're like pit bulls. You know, you'd have to pry Jonas off the back of a group with. With the jaws of life to get him to sit up. Like, I just kind of worry about that getting ingrained in someone's mentality of, like, it's hard. I'm going to sit up. Because once that disease is in your head, it can be very hard to get it out. That's what concerns me the most.

[A]

That's true. That's true. It has happened. I mean, I mean, not because he's Belgian, but, you know, it. I've seen. We've seen something similar with Remco Evenepool now and then, you know, the world, the same Vuelta at the Tour a little bit. So listen, these guys and Juana, you perfect example. I mean, this guy has been winning everything since he started riding a bike. Everything. He's been always the best until he turned pro. But he turned pro in his first year. He was with the best. And so it's an Ex. They have to learn how to manage this defeat. You know, it's, you're not going to be the best all the time and more, more often than not you're not going to be the best or you're not going to be with the best. So it's definitely something that mentally they have to learn how to manage.

[B]

I mean what I would like I worry about with kids these days. It's like I want to see you suffer to finish 40 seconds back as opposed to like I'm not even trying, I'm going to sit up and finish eight minutes back. It's like, well, yeah, I don't, yeah, once that's an option, it's hard to then take it off the table.

[A]

Yeah, agree.

[B]

So, but, but last question. Is he going to Little Trek? That's the rumor today.

[A]

Well, that's, yeah, I've seen that too. I don't know where those rum come from. For the moment I would say there's nothing indicating that he's leaving. It would be complicated. It's a long term contract. I don't know how long if it's 2028 or 2029, I don't remember now.

[B]

I think it's end of 2028.

[A]

So there has to be some kind of mutual agreement. Never say never. Nowadays we see that long term contracts get resolved sometimes. But first and foremost, guys, I mean just don't sign five year deals, sign two year deals, whatever, three year deals, but not five year deals and the team's the same. Why would you sign somebody five years if you know that the managers, the agents are around it already like sharks. And I've seen this many times back in my days, you know, like agents offering guys they had, they just signed a new deal and you know, after the first year, you know, we talk, we talk about riders and what about this? I say what about this guy? Yeah, you know, we signed a three year deal, but we can talk about it. No, you can't talk about it. You signed three years. I mean, why would you then talk about. So it's the writer, it's the agent, even the teams. I mean the teams. The fact that teams are looking at riders who still have contracts, it's, it's an open market basically and there's always a possibility to find a solution. So don't sign five year deals.

[B]

Well, I guess, I guess if you're the team, even if the rider leaves, usually get a nice chunk of change. So that's true, that's why you would do it. I mean, but this is not just an issue in cycling like we're seeing like Newcastle, like their best player is sitting out because he, he wants to leave the team even though he's a contract.

[A]

And like the money's different in the football and soccer, Spencer. It's not the same.

[B]

Yeah, well, they, they rumored the buyout for want to use it was 100 million euros.

[A]

Well listen, that's getting up. That is, it is, it is a rumor I've heard. I actually, I don't know if it's true. I wouldn't exclude it. But let me tell you, I mean and I'm not a lawyer take this to court that, that bio is never going to be 100 million. There's no way into.

[B]

This is. Yeah.

[A]

You know, there's the sporting regulations and then there's the civil courts, the normal court of law and you know, in a free market, in a commercial, commercial law, this doesn't stand a chance. I think 100 million.

[B]

It does make me wonder if soccer teams should be selling all their best players right now because eventually someone's going to challenge that in court and it's not going to hold up and it's going to mean all these big footballers can just leave. So I do wonder about the implications of that. But let's preview tomorrow's stage eight. A real cracker first offenser.

[A]

Before we go to tomorrow's stage, let's quickly touch on not Tour of Spain related but important race. Tour de Lavenier finished today. It's you know, known as the, the Tour de France for the young riders. They're always. They're younger and younger. Finally Paul Sechas won the, the Tour Lavenier, the big favorite. He's the one that is already in the world tour. Finished 8 if I'm not mistaken in the Dauphine this year. Yeah, I think he was second was the. The Belgian favorite Yarno Widar who won two stages third North Hagen Norwegian rider already on Visma Lisa bike. So all the best riders in the world of young age were there and I watched, I watched the last. I watched the time trial which was. Today was very special day. It was 40 kilometers in the morning. Super hard, super hard stage and then a 10 kilometer uphill time trial and have the stats here of all SaaS 18 years old. So 10, 10.10 kilometer time trial uphill, almost 7%, 6.63 watts per kilo for 25 minutes. Pretty impressive. And, and yeah, I mean it was, it's, it was a nice, it's a nice race to Watch. It's, it's, it's national teams. Who else was up there? Lorenzo Finn was up there who was also one of the best riders in the world. And then there's this young Equatorian rider who's already now on the development team of uae. Matteo Ramirez. So yeah, I mean really all the best young riders in the world. And then an interesting stat. So there was 158 riders at the start. I think half of them or almost half of them were 20, 21 or 22 years old and only four of those older young riders were in top 20. So the majority of the top 20 were all super young.

[B]

Crazy.

[A]

Yeah, the three, the top three. I mean Vidar and Seasas are 18 years old. So first year. Yeah, first year. First year under 23 or. No we do is actually, I think we. Dar is second year under 23 I think.

[B]

Super impressive. He wins.

[A]

Wear is 19. Yeah. And. And one back to back stages.

[B]

Yeah, the hardest, two hardest stages of the race. Pretty impressive. Do you. Would this work in the tour? I thought this was an interesting stage. Today's first one, 42km long starts with a 10k long 10% average climb and then basically descends another climb. Descends another climb.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Would that actually. Would that what if they did that in like a world tour, would that actually be interesting?

[A]

I mean. Yeah, why not?

[B]

I think it could be good. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, why not?

[B]

It was pretty.

[A]

Yeah. I mean I didn't see any footage of that stage but it must have been, I mean like start a 40 kilometer stage and start on a 10 kilometer climb. 10%. That's like wow.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Everybody, everybody on the home trainers for sure. Full gas.

[B]

It would be like must watch TV if they edit the tour.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

I think it could be fun. I mean I don't think every stage should be 40k. At some point you have to add fatigue to people's life. That could be cool. Yeah. This guy Pablo Torres who was on your son's team recently, right? He did, he's not didn't win it but he finished seventh and then a lot of these like these mount stages. He's right there.

[A]

Yeah, but he was better last year. He was last year in his first year under 23. He was, he was impressive this year he's already on the World Tour team so he's still. Is he 19 or 18?

[B]

He's 19.

[A]

He's on 19 but he's already on the World Tour team. Signed another guy who signed a contract till2030. Obviously he didn't have the same form as last year. This is the guy who did this amazing performance on Quality Finestre last year set the fastest time, beat I think Chris Shroom's fastest time by four minutes. I think it's been broken now by Simon Yates but, but anyways, Pablo Torres, I think he had a bit of a difficult season and I actually spoke to his mother a few months ago because his brother races in the juniors on my son's team and I saw them at the race and asked, asked her about Pablo because he had a really bad crash a few months ago, very bad crash where he hit his head, he, he hurt his neck and I think it took him quite a long time to come back. So he's definitely not on 100 of his ability.

[B]

Yeah, I remember hearing about that. So it's good to see him back racing. Well, back to the Vuelta stage eight. Johan, I don't. Does Vuelta know what a weekend is? So they, they've, they've served up a sprint stage for Saturday. 163km long. Unless there's some unforeseen crosswinds and it is a windy region, it's probably going to be a sprint. I'll list off the favorites. Jasper Phillipson, heavy favorite, minus 118. Ethan Vernon plus 350. Mads Pedersen plus 600. Casper Van Newton plus 1000. Ben Turner plus 1400. Elliot Viviani plus 2200. It goes on and on. We'll come out if we need to. If you really are interested in betting, make sure you check out nxtbets.com betoutcomes they'll show you where to bet wherever you live and the best prices and best signup bonuses at each book. But Johan, how do you think this plays out and who's going to win?

[A]

I think it's going to be a sprint. It's one of the few sprint stages so there are certain teams in, in this race who have to control Alpecin to name one of them. So I'm gonna go with the heavy favorite, Jasper Philipson. Even if it's minus 118, I think he's, he's the guy who's going to win tomorrow. I also think that Philipson is one of those riders who, he may have come in the Vuelta, probably a bit lower on form after his crash in, in the Tour, but he's had a week now. He's a strong engine, a big engine who, you know, gets, gets through the efforts and I think tomorrow Phillips and.

[B]

Winning the stage, I could, I could see it. I just don't Love that price. Minus 118 for Phillipson. You know, maybe he's been dinged up a bit on these mountain stages. I do. I do think he does this. He probably wins it and then he goes home on the rest day. But minus 118, I just can't do it.

[A]

Too steep.

[B]

I'm gonna go Ethan Vernon + 350. I think Vernon's gonna break through. He's gonna win this stage. It is, we should say, slightly uphill, like 1.5% uphill. Final kilometer. That always makes it kind of a little funky. And it helps. I think it helps. These, like, also call them slower sprinters. Phillipson's a. Very. Obviously, he's probably the world's best bunch sprinter, but when it slows down, other guys can sometimes get the best of them. So I'm going to go Vernon.

[A]

Yeah. Well, following that idea. My wild card for this, for tomorrow sprint is actually mats Pedersen is plus 600. Yeah. One one and a half percent, falls flat uphill. So it's. It's a slower speed. He looks to be coming under full steam now. Today he was. He was amazingly strong. So my second choice for tomorrow is Matt's Patterson at +600.

[B]

I like it. I'm gonna go even. I'm gonna extend that further. I'm gonna get the budget. Mads Pedersen. Ben. Ben Turner, plus 1400. Oh, I'm actually surprised he's that low. I actually got him at + 1600 on FanDuel right before he recorded this. So I've already bet on him. I'm gonna go him to win, to double up. The team will be behind him. It's just he's. He's really impressed me over the last few months. I think Ben Turner could get a second stage win here.

[A]

Okay, good. I like it.

[B]

And here's two bets. I'm curious. I might. I might just bet on these right now. So mountains classification. J Vine. -125. He wins this mountains classification, right?

[A]

If he's going for it. Yeah, I was going to say yes.

[B]

And then this guy was plus 1,000 to win. Young riders beats plus 100. Right now, Matthew Ricatello, who beats him in the young riders classification?

[A]

I would need to check who was there and see.

[B]

I'll read you the standings. It is slim pickings. It's Pelizar. He would, I guess, be the main one. Ricatello, Raul Garcia, our guy. Junior La Ser. Marco Frigo.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Are the big ones okay?

[A]

I think it's going to be either Riccatello Or Junior Leserv.

[B]

Interesting. And he got time in that breakaway yesterday.

[A]

Oh, Leserv.

[B]

Yeah. Was he. I think he was up there. Wait, no, maybe not.

[A]

I don't think so.

[B]

I think he was. He's just doing. I'm thinking of Louis Vivarca.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. But I think. Yeah, the serve looks good. Let's not forget he just won. Did he just won the Check Tour or something? The check. The tour of. Yeah, the Check Tour against. He won the Check Tour against Outer Brooks Jr. Serve.

[B]

Hold on a second.

[A]

Yeah, for sure.

[B]

Oh, I'm thinking of. Is there not another tour that Luke Lombardi won?

[A]

No, no, he won the Czech Tour.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Buddha Brooks. Wow. Okay, well, he's plus 800, so if someone thinks he's going to win.

[A]

Yeah, but I think Ricatello has a really good chance. I mean there's. He's. If he's up there now already and there's. I mean they're both. Listen, they're both tiny, they're lightweights. But Ricatello has more experience in grand tours already, so I'll probably favor him.

[B]

Okay. All right, Johan. Well, we. We will be back tomorrow to break down what I'm sure will be a action packed stage eight and then preview. Let's summon finish on stage.

[A]

Try to start now to think about what we're going to talk about tomorrow.

[B]

I know, I bet it's. I might be televised start to finish. Like why?

[A]

Okay, well, that stage on the weekend. Yeah, well, I'm not going to watch from the start, but.

[B]

Go out and do something everyone and then meet us back for the. We'll describe to you what happened on the stage. Well, thanks, Johan.

[A]

Okay, Spencer, thanks. Okay, bye.