Juan Ayuso sprints to victory in Laigueglia(Image credit: Getty Images)
Ayuso powers clear of his break companions in the finishing straight(Image credit: Getty Images)
UAE Team Emirates-XRG set the pace up a climb.(Image credit: Getty Images)
Mattia Bais and Matteo Badilatti in a breakaway during the Trofeo Laigueglia.(Image credit: Getty Images)
Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) produced a stunning display to win Trofeo Laigueglia 2025, attacking several times in the final 20km and still managing to come out on top in a four-rider sprint.
The Spanish rider lit things up first with 20km to go up the Colla Micheri climb and tried on several occasions to go solo. However, Christian Scaroni (XDS-Astana) followed each of his bursts, allowing Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) and Michael Storer (Tudor) back in to contest the victory.
Still, Ayuso had enough power and enough guile to get the final sprint right, launching away from Storer who was on the front of the group and easily powering away from the Australian, Powless and Scaroni.
Scaroni was rewarded for all his efforts following each of Ayuso's brutal attacks and took second with a great bike throw, beating Storer who took the final podium spot. Powless narrowly missed out on the top three in the blanket finish.
Ayuso's success on the Ligurian coast added to his solo victory from the Faun Drome Classic at the weekend and continued UAE Team Emirates-XRG's flying start to 2025, with their 14th victory.
"It was the place I was missing, one time third, one time second and now finally I also have the win, the place I was missing which was first," said Ayuso post-race.
"I'm glad I could finish off the work of the team, we set a hard pace on the climbs and in the final circuit, I always had a teammate with me to cover any movement."
Despite never being able to drop Scaroni, Ayuso's belief in the victory never waned. He'll now take great form heading into his first stage race of the season at Tirreno-Adriatico, starting on Monday.
"I was quite confident, the only thing I didn't want was for more people to join from the back because then they could attack with 1 or 2km to go and you never know, so I just wanted a sprint with the guys who were there. I was quite confident in my sprint to be able to win," said Ayuso.
"The big goal is Giro but we start Tirreno next which is a race I really like. Last year I was second and I won a stage so I really want to improve on that."
How it unfolded
The 2025 Italian cycling season opened with the beginning of the 62nd Trofeo Laigueglia, with 25 teams and 175 riders setting off to battle it out over the 197 kilometres in and around the Ligurian coastal town.
An aggressive fight for the break began in the sunshine, with a strong nine-rider eventually finding separation after 27km of racing, Alex Tolio (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizanè), Victor Guernalec (Arkéa - B&B Hotels), Kevin Colleoni (Intermarché - Wanty), Asbjørn Hellemose (Jayco AlUla), Matteo Badilatti (Q36.5), Mattia Bais (Polti VisitMalta), Odd Christian Eiking (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Johan Meens (Wagner Bazin WB) and Lorenzo Nespoli (MBH Bank Ballan CSB).
They would build out an advantage close to the four-minute mark as they travelled inland and completed the Cima Paravenna (6.8 km at 5.6%) and Testico (7.2 km at 4.5%) climbs.
The peloton was led by UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Ineos Grenadiers throughout the opening stages to keep the gap at a reasonable level ahead of the finale.
The action kicked off fully at the 1.Pro race during the approach to the first of four laps around the 10.8km Laigueglia finish circuit and first ascent up the crucial Colla Micheri (2 km at 8%) climb.
Once they hit the uphill, with 43km to go UAE showed their strength in the peloton and those in the break tried to get a move on with the gap now under a minute.
After lap two up the Colla Micheri, Eiking, Bais and Badilatti had proved they were the strongest of the escapees, however, their lead was almost completely evaporated and they were soon all swept up with 24km to go.
Powless took over on the third lap up the Micheri climb, with Antonio Morgado (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Ayuso on his wheel. The Portuguese rider kept the pace high until Ayuso made his move 20.8km from the finish.
Powless was able to follow, as was Scaroni, but no one else was able to match the furious burst from the young Spanish rider. A second effort from Ayuso did for Powless but soon the American had descended back on, with Storer also bridging across on the roads between the climb.
This was a pattern that repeated throughout the final rep up the Colla Micheri and Capo Mele, with Ayuos's attacking burst being followed by Scaroni and Powless working his way back in on the descent, making it a trio in front again with 5.6km to go.
Storer again wasn't finished, however, also bridging the gap ahead of the final sprint in Laigueglia, this time trying to mount a surprise attack. Ayuso was more than up to it, quickly snapping onto his wheel and ensuring it would come down to a test of a four-man sprint.
Ayuso launched first, bursting out of Storer's wheel and showing the other three that he was superior. He soon had a big enough gap and was able to celebrate over the line as the race's first-ever Spanish winner in its 62 editions, while those behind fought out the podium places.
James Moultrie is a gold-standard NCTJ journalist who joined Cyclingnews as a News Writer in 2023 after originally contributing as a freelancer for eight months, during which time he also wrote for Eurosport, Rouleur and Cycling Weekly. Prior to joining the team he reported on races such as Paris-Roubaix and the Giro d’Italia Donne for Eurosport and has interviewed some of the sport’s top riders in Chloé Dygert, Lizzie Deignan and Wout van Aert. Outside of cycling, he spends the majority of his time watching other sports – rugby, football, cricket, and American Football to name a few.
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