Native favorite Juan Ayuso has grow to be a late withdrawal from the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, which begins on Wednesday after it emerged the UAE Staff Emirates is affected by a minor case of tendinitis.
Ayuso blazed to fame final autumn together with his third place general within the Vuelta a España, making the 19-year-old the second youngest Grand Tour podium finisher.
Hopes had been excessive that the gifted younger Spaniard would influence strongly within the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, the area the place he grew up and raced broadly as a junior and beginner.
Nevertheless, a case of tendinitis has put paid to that concept, and Ayuso’s season debut must wait a bit of longer.
“Juan Ayuso was resulting from begin his season right here, however he has been struggling a bit from tendonitis, so we most well-liked to not rush into racing. Juan is in good spirits, and we now have little question he might be prepared to start out his season very quickly,” sports activities supervisor Joxean Fernandez Matxin stated in a crew assertion.
UAE Staff Emirates line-up for the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana is a deep one even with out Ayuso.
Gifted US climber Brandon McNulty, not too long ago fifth within the Serra de Tramuntana leg of the Mallorca Problem, double Vuelta a España stage winner Marc Soler and former King of the Mountains Rafal Majka among the many squad’s prime names.
“After the unbelievable win on the Tour Down Below, we’re very eager to style our first victory right here in Europe,” Matxin noticed.
“For Valenciana, we now have a really skilled crew with an attacking mentality, so we purpose to animate the race and go for victories.”
Within the absence of Soler, Spanish followers might be pinning a lot of their hopes for Valenciana on Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers), who, like Soler, had a breakthrough trip within the Vuelta a España final yr.
The Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana kicks off on Wednesday with a hilly stage between Orihuela and Altea.