Juan Ayuso has categorically denied rumours that he was ready to abandon the Vuelta a España following his harsh criticism of the management of the UAE Emirates team before stage 10.

The Spanish rider, who had accused the team of having broken an unwritten agreement regarding the announcement of his farewell at the end of the season, wanted to clarify the situation:

'I never thought about quitting racing, this is just a discussion sparked by the media.'

Ayuso admitted that the tensions of the last two months had influenced his decision not to aim for the general classification:

"It's hard to stay focused when these situations are playing out in the background. That's one of the reasons I don't aim for the overall."

The 22-year-old has now taken on the role of domestique for João Almeida, providing support on the climbs and demonstrating a clear improvement compared to previous stages:

"I felt much better than I did on the stage before the rest day. João was fine and asked me to push, which I did until we reached Mikkel Bjerg."

Despite tensions with the team, Ayuso expressed his desire to contribute to Almeida's success:

"It would be fantastic if João could win. I couldn't celebrate with Tadej at the Tour last year because I had to withdraw, so it would be great to do so in Madrid."

The Spanish rider now looks to the future with optimism: "At times it was difficult to enjoy the race, but we have to move forward. I'm happy that everything is coming to an end. Now I can focus on the race, help my teammates, or try to win a stage. Next year will be a new chapter in my life."

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