• Spaniard attacks with 40km to ride, teeing up breathtaking duel with Mattias Skjelmose, as the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider takes victory in Étoile-sur-Rhône

On just his second race day of the season, Juan Ayuso produced a tremendous ride to win the 2025 Faun Drôme Classic after a 40km-long solo attack. The Spaniard finished runner-up in this race last year, but goes one better to add the title to his Faun-Ardèche Classic crown from 2024.

It was a supreme ride from both Ayuso and his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates, all of whom were keen to leave this weekend of back-to-back French one-day races with a result. After his win at last year’s Faun-Ardèche Classic, Ayuso made sure that UAE Team Emirates-XRG would retain their title at the Faun Drôme Classic, with the help of teammate Isaac del Toro.

The Mexican set a searing pace both off the front and on the front of the peloton as they climbed the Col de la Grande Limite, and with his rivals on their own limits, Ayuso made his move. With a blistering acceleration, the 22-year-old stormed clear of the bunch and went off alone, still with 39.8km left to ride. Undeterred by the scale of the challenge ahead, Ayuso pressed on over the summit of the climb and began his solo march to Étoile-sur-Rhône.

Deciding that Ayuso’s move was too dangerous to let slip away, Mattias Skjelmose of Lidl-Trek soon rid himself of the peloton and looked to counter the UAE Team Emirates-XRG man. With four categorised climbs and a steep kick to the finish still to conquer, the accelerations of both riders teed up a breathtaking final hour of racing. With the peloton content to hamper its own chances by failing to organise, Ayuso rode hard at the front as Skjelmose buried his head in his own pursuit behind.

For the next 35km, little could seperate the pair, that is, except for the initial gap that Ayuso had created with his attack on the Col de la Grande Limite.

Standing at 23 seconds when Skjelmose went in chase, the gap had extended to around 30 seconds as Ayuso entered the final 20km of racing. It was at this point that the Spaniard appeared to falter, with the day’s efforts coming back to bite and the 22-year-old looking ever more uncomfortable in the saddle. Sensing his chance to bridge across to the lone leader, Skjelmose dug deep and over the next 10km, he chipped away at the gap.

It was at 10km to go, with the gap down to 23 seconds, that the UAE Team Emirates-XRG car came up alongside Ayuso. With the encouragement of sports directors Fabrizio Guidi and Marco Marzano in his ear, the Spaniard came to life and reasserted his grip over the race. With his shoulders strong once more, Ayuso pressed on, determined to make it to the finish alone. Little by little, the gap grew to Skjelmose behind and as he entered the final kilometre, it became clear that the race was run for the day.

Taking a breath as he rode through the final few hundred metres, Ayuso could celebrate his ninth career victory, landing UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s 13th win of the campaign in the process. Speaking to the team after the finish, Ayuso heaped praise on his teammate Del Toro and exclaimed his happiness at getting off the mark for 2025.

Ayuso: “We had a plan from the start to attack right where I did and the lead out from Isaac was planned and he did it perfectly.

“Isaac really put me in the perfect position to be able to attack so a big thanks must go to him.

“In the final kilometres there was quite a lot of headwind and my radio didn’t work so well, so I was looking behind a bit as I knew Skjelmose wasn’t too far away and I had no time references. I just did a time trial effort and pushed to the end and it all worked out. I’m thrilled to get this first win and get the season off to a good start with the team.”

Faun Drôme Classic results

1. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 04:31:48

2. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) +23″

3. Ben Tulett (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1:15