·       Ayuso follows up his Faun Drôme Classic success with victory in the first Italian race of the season, as Matthias Schwarzbacher triumphs at UMAG Classic

·      Matthias Schwarzbacher wins big for UAE Team Emirates Gen Z squad at UMAG Classics

News | Team – 5th March 2025

Following an afternoon of breathless attacks in the Ligurian hills, Juan Ayuso won the 2025 Trofeo Laigueglia from a four-up sprint, giving UAE Team Emirates-XRG victory in the first race on Italian soil of the campaign.

It was a strong acceleration from the 22-year-old, who adds the Italian one-day race to his victory in the Faun Drôme Classic on Sunday. In taking his second win from three race days in 2025, Ayuso not only became the second UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider to win Trofeo Laigueglia – after Jan Polanc in 2022 – but the first Spanish winner in the race’s 61-year history.

Earlier in the race, it was Ayuso’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad that piled the pressure on his rivals. As the peloton made a series of ascents of the Colla Micheri climb, the Emirati squad drove the pace at the front of the bunch, ensuring that the number of contenders dwindled as the finale came into view.

Both through Igor Arrieta and António Morgado, Ayuso had teammates strong enough to make a difference. It was on the third ascent of this defining climb that their work truly began to pay off, as the numbers of riders in the wheel began to drop considerably, and Ayuso lay in wait for a big attack. This was, of course, how the Faun Drôme Classic was won on Sunday afternoon.

This time around, the Spaniard would not go it alone, but with Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) and Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team) in the wheel. Once Morgado had dropped the hammer for one last time, Ayuso sensed his chance to attack with 20.9km to ride. Opening a gap with Powless and Scaroni, neither Ayuso nor Scaroni was happy to have the EF Education-EasyPost rider along for the ride.

Over the top of the Colla Micheri, Ayuso and Scaroni produced a series of blows which had Powless in trouble, but the American produced a smart descent alongside Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling) to make the front group four-strong heading towards the final 10km of racing.

Through the final two climbs of the day, a similar situation played out once more, with Ayuso and Scaroni trading blows, as Powless and Storer stuck to task behind, eager to take any opportunity for recovery with the final sprint in mind. As such, the group of four was forced to accept that only a sprint would decide the day’s winner as the finish line approached.

Twice a podium finisher in this race, all eyes were on Ayuso under the flamme rouge, but the 22-year-old did not let this disrupt him from finishing the job. With his rivals keen to follow the wheel, Ayuso accepted the mandate and became the first to open up his acceleration.

Once he had launched his sprint, it soon became clear that Ayuso was truly the strongest rider of the day in Laigueglia. The Spaniard was able to celebrate another impressive victory as he crossed the line in first, ahead of Scaroni and Storer.

It was no less than the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider deserved, with his team controlling proceedings all afternoon and Ayuso animating a thrilling final hour of racing.

Speaking to the TV crews beyond the finish, Ayuso heaped praise on his teammates and looked forward to his next goals in Italy.

Ayuso: “It was the place I was missing. I did one time third, one time second and now finally I have also finished first. I am glad I could finish the work of the team! We controlled all day, we made a hard pace on the climbs and then on the final circuit, I always had a teammate with me covering every move.

“I was quite confident [against Scaroni], the only thing I didn’t want was for more people to arrive from the back because then they could attack with one or two kilometres to go, and then you never know. I just wanted a sprint with the ones who were there – nobody to come from behind – and then I was quite confident in my sprint to be able to win.

“The big goal is the Giro [d’Italia] but next week we start Tirreno[-Adriatico] 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.”

Trofeo Laigueglia Results

1. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 04:46:36

2. Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team) s.t

3. Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling) s.t

Meanwhile, across the border in Croatia, UAE Team Emirates Gen Z came out on top at the Croatian one-day race, UMAG Classic. Winning the bunch sprint in Umag, Matthias Schwarzbacher continued his fine start to life in UAE Team Emirates colours, picking up his first win for the Gen Z squad.

With recent outings for the WorldTour squad yielding eighth place at Trofeo Ses Salines and 15th in the Clásica Jaén, the Slovakian rider was full of confidence heading into the Croatian test.

Back alongside his UAE Team Emirates Gen Z teammates, Schwarzbacher saw his team control a breakaway of just two riders towards the front of the peloton, with a bunch finish to be expected at the end of the race. In turn, Schwarzbacher maintained a smart position alongside Davide Stella as the flamme rouge beckoned, with Stella a recent winner at the Tour of Sharjah.

With Stella in the wheel of Schwarzbacher, the pair looked well set inside the final kilometre, and it was the latter who emerged triumphant. Produding a long sprint that could not be matched by his rivals, Schwarzbacher roared to victory at the end of the 142.3km-long race.

UMAG Classic Results

1. Matthias Schwarzbacher (UAE Team Emirates Gen Z) 3:03:58

2. Filippo Fortin (Team Solution Tech-Vini Fantini) s.t