Around 12:00 in the morning, At a point on the G1-673 road that belongs to the town of Caldes de Malavella (Girona), Juan Ayuso (22 years old) appears in the co -pilot seat of his garnet car. He does it with his partner Laura behind the wheel And a faithful companion, truffle, the dog that they both have. It is the point where the UAE will begin a day of training on Catalan soil (Laura and Trufa leave at that time to their daily work).
As the day with one of the great candidates for the Italy, with five victories in 2025, and his best months since he is in professionalism in terms of performance and conquests. Team clothing, bicycle taken from the trunk, and mounted, stretching … and the road. But his morning began much earlier at his home in Andorra. “I usually wake up at half past eight. In winter I usually go out to train later, over eleven, to avoid cold, but now, when the good weather comes, at ten o’clock I am out. It is something monotonous, of routine, removing the rest days. I try to sleep everything possible, massage at home and then dinner, watch some movie and the bed. Then start again ”, Ayuso counts about how a normal day is without races.
The first meal of the day, breakfast, It is one of the most important. Maybe the most. “We have to reach nutritional values. So, to get there, you can do, within normal, whatever you want. If 30 grams of fat correspond to me, they will not be 30 of Nocilla, for example. You are playing with it. In my case I usually eat toast, philadelphia, ham, jam, cereals … what varies is the quantity. ”All this marked and guided by the UAE team.
Every detail is calculated to the maximum. “We have the application of the equipment already with recipes, so you do not have to think if some pancakes carry a certain amount of sugar because the team has already proven,” adds Juanthat the day in which it is with AS has four hours of training and a route that has to make two climbs of about 15 minutes.
The level he chose for this was the high of Sant Grau (around 7 km), double, ascending by the same aspect. Explosive effort With those guidelines, he creates his route in VeloViewer. In this case, in a territory somewhat unknown to the corridor, so he studies the area previously. With all the sacrifice that entails, training is better if you do it with pleasure.
“As competing there is nothing, that is evident, but every year I like the process of competing, to put yourself in shape. In Sierra Nevada (In winter) This year I enjoyed, because you see how the shape is changing in three weeks. It also influences that everything went well ”explains an ayuso that practically the cycling he knows, for his youth, is the data.
“After training, I upload my data to TrainingPeaks (An application), my coach sees it and commented. In addition, he also asks me for sensations. Then, on my data, I do not usually climb anything publicly. Maybe I would have to start sharing the performance data in races, but it is not soil for laziness. And as social networks is something that matters little to me, maybe I have something neglected, ”explains Ayuso about some data … that he also does not look at the rest.
“Sometimes I see others out of curiosity, To discover sites. In youth, I was looking at the data of others a lot. Now it is the other way around, it gives me a little the same because then in the race the road does not deceive. Some can tell you that they have made a rhythm of 7 watts/kilo, and the race comes or you see. In my case, this year I am in my best numbers, ”adds Jávea’s. The gym is also part of his routine, although obviously” it is not the favorite part. “
And, at the training level, it is normal to see Ayuso alone … and without stopping to coffee or similar: “95% I go with no one because I consider that I train better. If you go with another person you are also a little conditioned on what is that day. I do not want to be selfish and say that today it is time to do this, or that. And the coffee does not usually stop. I think it has no benefit to training, perhaps, if, mentally. ”
After the training, after 4:00 p.m., and wet by the storms, shower, food already rests before attending As, this time at a round table with the background, for almost an hour. Day surpassed, at least on the bicycle, and reunites with Laura and Trufa. The work is already done and touches to disconnect, something also very necessary in such a demanding lifestyle. Precisely, this way of life opens a recent debate about whether runners will have as many years of career as, for example, Alejandro Valverde (retired at 42) or contrary cases such as Peter Sagan’s, which left him with 33.
“If the body endures … I enjoy what I do and I don’t see myself burning. Of course, if you are a runner who earns races and then, in the future, other generations come over you, It may be the time when it is not easy to take it. If you are still on your site, I don’t see the reason for not being competing for much time, ”Juan explains about his passion for cycling. To the turn (since May 9) It will arrive with 17 days of competition (5 successes) and after a concentration in Sierra Nevada. It is the time of truth in a key year.
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