Sprint star Jonathan Milan has said he is confident that his new teammate for 2026, Juan Ayuso, has the talent required to win a Grand Tour after he broke his contract with UAE Team Emirates-XRG to join Lidl-Trek.
Ayuso and Milan will be two of Lidl-Trek's main leaders for the coming season, alongside Mads Pedersen, Mattias Skjelmose and Giulio Ciccone, as they look to consolidate their status as one of cycling's 'super teams'.
The 23-year-old Spaniard has shown Grand Tour-winning potential in the past, finishing third and fourth in his first two attempts at the Vuelta a España, but crashes, bad luck and inconsistent form have seen his last three GT appearances end without a GC result to write home about – DNF, DNF and 68th.
In spite of this, Milan still sees the potential in Ayuso, even after some rocky years at UAE, where leadership struggles and questions over his attitude ended in his early departure, with Lidl-Trek's stock boosted by his arrival.
"Yes, he has the talent to win a Grand Tour. Which one? That will depend on many things, but he has everything he needs to achieve it," Milan told Marca before the Tour de France Saitama Criterium.
"[Leadership will be] up to the directors to decide. Juan, Skjelmose, Cicco… They're all very strong riders. Next year will be great to watch."
The nature of Ayuso's signing was shocking, given his exit from UAE was announced during the Vuelta, but Lidl-Trek did make sense as a true GC leader has really been the only area they've lacked in these past few seasons.
Team manager Luca Guercilena explained the reasons for Ayuso's signing in greater depth, speaking to Cyclingnews earlier this month, citing the pursuit of a Grand Tour overall victory as the main one. After that, it will be about trying to win the Tour de France, too.
"We were monitoring the market and so we were always ready if the chance came to sign a Grand Tour contender," Guercilena told Cyclingnews.
"We've got Mattias and Giulio in the team for Grand Tours and other future talents, but when Juan came on the market, we made our move. When you're ambitious and an opportunity comes your way, you've got to step up and sign certain riders."
"We're excited about having signed Juan. I'm not that interested in a rider's previous behaviour, but how they behave when they're with us. We're confident he'll fit in the team really well."
While his behaviour as a teammate and rider may have been questioned in the past, previous teammates from UAE only have positive words to say about his professionalism, and it's that dedication which could put him in good standing to win a Grand Tour.
"If I weren't on Pogačar's team, I might be fed up too... But I'm around him and I see all the work he does. For me, he's the most professional on the team along with Juan Ayuso," said Tim Wellens to L'Equipe, before elaborating further in conversation with Marca.
"Being professional means different things to different people. Some need to measure everything down to the millimeter; others need balance to maintain it all year round. In the UAE, everyone is very professional. Juan has a very good mindset for handling it.
"Juan made the decision [to leave], which he felt was best for him. But having Pogacar as a role model makes life easier. When he's not there, the pressure is greater. We'll see how he does; hopefully very well."
Milan took nine of Lidl-Trek's 46 victories in 2025, including two Tour de France stages on debut and the green jersey. He's optimistic that they are on the rise against UAE and Visma-Lease a Bike – the two teams who finished above them in the UCI's ranking.
Guercilena also sees it possible to close the current gap to the top, and stressed how rider investment in the likes of Ayuso and their already successful development team will be key to this.
"Right now [UAE and Visma] are stronger, we saw that this year. But our team is growing, getting motivated, and pushing towards big goals. We need time, but I'm sure we'll achieve it," said Milan.
"We're currently in an era where Tadej Pogačar is clearly better than everyone else, with other riders like Mathieu van der Poel and Remco Evenepoel also making history. But cycling is cyclical and new riders and new teams will emerge sooner or later," added Guercilena.
"We've got to make sure we have the riders who will lead the next wave of success in the sport."
