Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) failed to repeat his 2024 victory over Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) in the opening Tirreno-Adriatico time trial along the Versilia seafront in Tuscany but the young Spaniard nonetheless won his personal battle with his rival overall contenders, gaining significant seconds on a swathe of big-name riders.
Ayuso was two seconds faster than Ganna at the intermediate point after five kilometres of the 11.5km out-and-back course but then seemed to tie up and lose speed in the closing moments of the stage. He set a time of 12:40 but then Ganna blasted to the finish to clock an unbeatable 12:17.
Ganan pulled on the blue leader's jersey, while Ayuso made it into the best young rider's white jersey.
"No tenía piernas" - I didn't have the legs [to win]." Ayuso explained.
"It's a different race, I felt worse this time. Last year I felt really good, this time I wasn't great. Ganna was on another level but for the GC battle, I was still the fastest, which is the main goal."
Ayuso's closest GC rivals are, for now, Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) who was only six seconds slower than the Spaniard. Canada's Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) was eleven seconds slower and impressed again after recently winning the recent O Gran Camiño stage race.
One of Ayuso's teammates, Isaac del Toro was only 15 seconds slower and will be a valuable support or Plan 'B' for UAE Team Emirates. Another option for UAE could be Adam Yates, but he has apparently recently been ill and lost 40 seconds.
Some of the expected challengers lost significantly more time. Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-AlUla) lost 21 seconds to Ayuso, Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) 32 seconds, Giulio Coccone (Lidl-Trek) and Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) lost 33, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) 44, Richard Carapaz (EF Education-Easypost) 46 seconds and Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease a Bike) 50.
"There are two or three riders who are quite close but the riders who are really good in the mountains are at over 30 seconds, which is quite a big time gap," Ayuso remarked.
This year's Tirreno-Adriatico includes long stages over 200km but fewer major climbs as it crosses from the Tyrrhenian coast to the Adriatic. Only stage 6 from Cartoceto to Frontignano (Ussita) is considered a full-blown mountain stage.
"We only really have one and half stages of climbing but everything is still to play for," Ayuso said, knowing the next six days will be testing in many ways.
"There's still a lot to race and it's going to be hard with the long stages and bad weather."
Ayuso appears more motivated than ever. He knows that he has to prove himself, in the sport and perhaps within UAE Team Emirates if he is to be a contender at the Giro d'Italia, where he is expected to share team leadership with Yates but the Briton is perhaps slightly ahead in the Grand Tour hierarchy.
"This is a test," Ayuso told Cyclingnews firmly. "I have to show to myself that I am able to win these races. I have to prove myself."
