Ayuso slams UAE Team Emirates over timing of exit announcement

Spaniard Juan Ayuso has criticised UAE Team Emirates-XRG for announcing the early termination of his contract during the Vuelta a Espana, saying on Tuesday the team "feels more like a dictatorship".

UAE released a statement on Monday saying a mutual agreement had been reached to end Ayuso's contract — due to run until 2028 — at the close of this year, citing "differences in the vision of development plans and in the alignment with the team's sporting philosophy".

While Ayuso thanked the team in Monday's release, he did not hold back when speaking ahead of Tuesday's stage.

"We had agreed that the statement would be made public after the Vuelta, so it wouldn't affect anything on the sporting side, the atmosphere, or any teammates," Ayuso said.

"Why it came out yesterday is a question you'll have to ask them — and why it was so sudden and without warning.

"I'm very clear on why they did it, to try once again to damage my image, as the statement itself suggests, and again, I don't agree with it."

UAE Team Emirates-XRG have been contacted by Reuters for comment.

Ayuso, 22, began the race as one of the riders tipped to challenge favourite Jonas Vingegaard but those hopes faded on stage six.

UAE had won the previous day's team time trial, placing Ayuso and teammates Joao Almeida and Marc Soler all in the top four overall, eight seconds off Vingegaard.

The following day, while UAE's Jay Vine won the stage, Ayuso was dropped on the final climb, losing over 10 minutes. He responded with a solo attack to win the next stage but Almeida remained the team's only GC contender.

Sunday's stage nine brought internal tensions to the surface. Vingegaard won, Ayuso was dropped again, Almeida lost 30 seconds and later complained about a lack of support from teammates — comments Ayuso believes were used against him.

"They talk about values and unity, and those are things I also believe in," Ayuso said.

"But clearly, yesterday they also took advantage of some unfortunate comments made by Almeida — comments I've already discussed with Joao.

"He apologised because he agrees with how things unfolded. Yesterday I wasn't in a good place, and he understood that."

Although the split was agreed before the Vuelta, Ayuso expressed regret over how it was handled.

"I would've liked to end things well with the team too, because throughout the whole negotiation before the Vuelta, our goal was to part on good terms," he said.

"But sometimes it seems that's not possible, especially when it feels more like a dictatorship and a unilateral exercise of power over you."

He added that he was given 30 minutes notice before the statement was released.

"In that half hour I had, I said I didn't agree with what was being said in the statement," Ayuso said.

"The response was that the first version they had written was much worse, and I should be happy with this one."

Amid the controversy, UAE found success on Tuesday's stage, with Vine claiming another win and Ayuso taking on a key support role for Almeida, who finished level on time with Vingegaard. REUTERS