The rider

Juan Ayuso begins this Tour carrying all the heat of a grand transfer story. Leaving UAE's shadow for Lidl-Trek gave him the one thing he could not truly own beside Pogačar: undisputed leadership. The five-year megadeal, the public tension around his exit, and the choice to begin his Tour de France career in Barcelona have turned his debut into more than a sporting milestone. It is a declaration that he sees himself not as a luxury lieutenant, but as a rider around whom a Grand Tour team should be built.

The results support the ambition. A Vuelta podium while still a teenager, victories at Itzulia and Tirreno, a Giro stage win, the 2026 Volta ao Algarve, and a Dauphiné podium form a résumé that would make most teams reorganize themselves immediately. Lidl-Trek have done exactly that. Pedersen hunts stages and green, but Verona, Skjelmose, Gee-West, Skujiņš and Vacek give Ayuso a serious three-week structure. He has help for mountains, wind, positioning and the team time trial.

What remains to prove is Tour temperament. Ayuso has the climbing class and time-trial quality to target the podium, but the Tour magnifies every emotional and tactical edge. Rivals will test whether he wastes energy responding to reputation, whether he can share pressure with Skjelmose, and whether the hometown Grand Départ feeds him or overloads him. If he channels it, Lidl-Trek have a genuine yellow-jersey project. If he cannot, the race will teach him quickly and publicly.