EL CHICO DE ORO

Tucked away in the shadow cast by Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar is a Spanish golden boy that UAE Emirates think could surpass the young Slovenian. Chris Marshall-Bell meets Jan Ayuso

- Chris Marshall-Bell

At March's Volta a Catalunya, there was a moment towards the end of stage six that demonstrated a rider's naivety and, perhaps, a lack of race and tactical education - but, above all, an insatiable thirst to win, and the power to do so relatively easily.

With 25km remaining, and eventual stage winner Richard Carapaz and Sergio Higuita almost two minutes ahead of a beleaguered peloton, 19-year-old Juan Ayuso of UAE Emirates attacked in pursuit of the two South Americans, building a gap over the main group and distancing his team-mate, and race leader, João Almeida in the process. Although not quite as consequential, it had echoes of Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome on the climb to La Toussuire in the 2012 Tour de France, of the student being stronger than the master.

Ayuso - whether through his or his team's decision - sat up after 14km in pursuit of the leaders, and he and Almeida crossed the line together, the latter relinquishing his lead to Higuita. The young Spaniard later claimed that he had lost radio communications and hadn't intended to overrule Almeida. Whatever the truth, it was a staggering attack, and for the first time the wider cycling world woke up to the teenage sensation that is Juan Ayuso. In a sport that seems awash with wunderkinds, here's another generational talent that seems destined to dominate.

But not in a few years. “Man, if I can win now, I'll win now," he laughs, almost incredulously at Cycling Weekly's question when we ask about his game plan just a week before the Catalan race. We didn't know it at the time but it was a clear indication of his intentions.