Juan Ayuso leaves the 2024 Tour of Dauphiné following the injuries suffered in the maxi-fall. Victim of a “heavy fall on his left hip, elbow, knee and ankle, with deep cuts to his hip and elbow”, the runner was announced last night that he would be “sore for the next 3-4 days”, but there was no word of the retirement hypothesis, which was evidently necessary this morning after a night that inevitably wasn’t easy for him.
“I have to do the rollers, then we’ll see if I can start – he explained to us before the start, but already quite disheartened about the possibilities of being able to continue racing – Before coming here I took a short ride to see if the pain decreased, but not that’s how it is. So I don’t think I’ll leave.”
His fall was a particular one, given that he was injured on both sides of his body. “Both of my hips hurt, which are the most painful points – he continues, describing the dynamics that saw the UAE Team Emirates train fall first, with Nils Politt first ever to slip, dragging his teammates with him and then the rest of the group – In practice, while I was falling I fell twice… It would almost be laughable… While I was falling on my side I was afraid that someone might hit me from behind, so I did a maneuver whereby I found myself also hitting the other side.”
Obviously now we need to understand how his approach to the Tour de France will be affected. “I hope that this fall doesn’t cost me more than a few days away from the bike and that I can train and prepare anyway”, he concluded, however still hoping for “a favorable scenario that will allow me to start and at least continue to rotate my leg as expected”.
Which unfortunately did not happen and the team immediately ran for cover given that the team doctor Adrian Rotunno has already announced that after “returning home to recover and recuperate under the supervision of the team” it is expected that the young Spanish rider “will go to high altitude to continue his preparation for the Tour de France”
