UAE Team Emirates aim to break Jumbo Visma stronghold in final week of Vuelta a Espana

Juan Ayuso sits in fourth place behind Jumbo Visma trio Sepp Kuss, Primoz Roglic, and Jonas Vingegaard

Juan Ayuso is UAE Team Emirates' leading hope for a podium place at the 2023 Vuelta a Espana. EPA

UAE Team Emirates enter the final week of the Vuelta a Espana well-placed to launch an attack on the general classification podium, with both Juan Ayuso and Marc Soler in contention.

Spanish rider Ayuso, racing in only his second Grand Tour event after a podium finish in last year’s Vuelta, finds himself in fourth place, two minutes and 36 seconds behind race leader Sepp Kuss. Soler, meanwhile, is in sixth, three minutes and 10 seconds behind the red jersey holder.

Once again, UAE Team Emirates find themselves in a battle with Team Jumbo Visma following Tadej Pogacar's fierce duel with Jonas Vingegaard at the Tour de France earlier this summer.

The American, regarded as one of the greatest support riders in the world, is leading the charge for Team Jumbo Visma ahead of teammates Primoz Roglic, a three-time winner, and Tour de France champion Vingegaard, in second and third respectively.

UAE Team Emirates have picked up one stage win so far, with Sebastian Molano proving his class after a spectacular sprint finish on stage 12. The Colombian's victory came after some fine lead-out riding by Rui Oliveira.

The Portuguese rider put the hammer down with 400m to the line, timing the attack to perfection and allowing Molano to cross the line ahead of his closest rival Kaden Groves of Alpecin-Deceuninck.

Molano’s stage victory was the 48th of the season for UAE Team Emirates, equalling their tally from their record-breaking 2022 season.

“I’m very happy with this win," Molano said after the stage win. "The team did an amazing job and I dedicate this victory to them and to my family."

Looking ahead to the remainder of the race, stage 16 will favour the breakaway with a short 120km flat route with an uphill sprint finish. Stages 17 and 18 are set to play pivotal roles in the GC standings after two tough mountain stages containing several classified climbs.

Stage 17 will see riders faced with two category 1 climbs, the Cordal and Colladiella, before finishing on the feared slopes of Angliru for what will be a showdown finish.

Stage 18 will provide the riders with a tough and unprecedented challenge. Before the GC contenders can summit La Cruz de Linares, they will be faced with two enormous ascents that will push them to the limit after a gruelling two weeks of racing.

As the final mountain stage of the race, UAE Team Emirates will be doing everything in their power to give Juan Ayuso one last chance to create an opening and attack the overall standings in an attempt to break the Jumbo Visma stronghold on the podium places.

In what’s been a record-breaking season for UAE Team Emirates, they will be looking to their young stars for the inspiration to finish with a bang in the final week of the final Grand Tour event of the season.