Enric Mas: “I’m not afraid of winning the Vuelta”

Enric Mas (Movistar), red jersey of the Vuelta, seemed calm during the first day of rest, away from the stress that comes with leading and confident of being able to claim his first victory in the Spanish round.

Smile again in this race, He is not “afraid” to win and claims to be “the same Enric as always”and points out the Slovenian Primoz Roglic (Red Bull Bora) as the direct rival.

After having overcome difficult times for health and emotional reasons, The “new” Enric has raised the spirits of the Spanish fans.

“I have recently gone through difficult times, but they have not been the worst of my professional life. It’s clear that I’ve been through bumps, but there are things much harder than a hard fall. or certain physical problems. I’ve just been through it. Yes, it is true that it has been difficult for me to get out of there and get into shape, but today I am happy to be here, with the shape I have, and to smile again in La Vuelta,” he said in an appearance before the media in Albacete.

The leader of the general classification considers that nothing in particular has changed to be able to enjoy the best Enric Mas again.

“Nothing has changed. I have simply continued doing what I did most, training well, taking care of myselftry to do everything perfect and enjoy the process. But changing, nothing has changed,” he said.

He admitted that the enjoyment on the bike is the same as in past times: “Yesterday I said in front of the cameras that maybe I am another Enric, but the Enric who is with the family, with the friends and with the team is normally an Enric who makes jokes and laughs. He is the Enric that you saw yesterday after the finish line.”

But he referred to the ‘sterrato’ stage, when he managed to overtake Pogacar, who was running away, near the top.

“That moment didn’t change me either. Enric is the same as alwaysbut it is true that it was a moment that gave me a lot of confidence,” he said.

Due to his history, Roglic is the one who worries him the most

For the Movistar leader, his main rival for the final victory will be an old acquaintance, the Slovenian Primoz Roglic, four-time winner of the Vuelta.

“I think that with the history that Roglic has in the Vuelta, he is the one that worries me the most personally facing Granada,” he said about the cyclist who can beat the record of the Spanish Roberto Heras and become five-time champion of the Spanish round.

A new Vuelta begins in Granada, now with the “wings” that the red one gives, with more credit and with a team behind it.

“The red jersey wings thing was just a joke. that I did when they put me in front of the microphone, to break the ice a little before starting the interview,” he said.

For the team, the “new” Vuelta will be an important challenge, since it will have to carry the responsibility in defending the leadership.

Keep calm and the team together

“Yesterday morning we talked a little on the bus that we had to turn the page after everything that happened the day before with the falls. Now everything has changed and it’s our turn. It’s true that there are many stages that we are not interested in winning and there will be many people to help us on the sprint days and also on some breakaway days. We will simply remain calm and try to always be united,” he explained.

Mas also referred to the shout he let out when he crossed the finish line in Alto de Aitana as the winner, copied from the team’s rookies.

“That cry comes from the ‘penguins’ of the team. The penguins are the young people, as we call them. Chente (García Acosta, sports director) gave them that name in the first concentration we did three years ago, when they entered. We always say that, since we win little, when we win we have to celebrate it a lot. In my case, it has been eight years since I won in a grand tour and four years since my last victory. So it was a cry of rage and joy,” he explained.

Given what remains of the Vuelta, Mas admitted to not being very aware of the remaining stages until Granada.

“Am I telling you the truth? I have no idea. We haven’t had the meeting yet.. There are a few stages that are clear to be crucial for the overall, but from yesterday to today I haven’t had time for anything, I haven’t looked at anything. Before starting I do like to make a statement about LaVuelta, but right now I haven’t looked at anything,” he summarized.

And he denied that he feels stress or fear about being able to win the Vuelta: “It’s not that I’m afraid. It’s that, if I spend all day thinking that I can win the Vuelta, in the end it’s an accumulated stress that I don’t want to have at this moment. Now I simply enjoy the moment, I enjoy wearing the red, I enjoy the team and we have to focus on what’s coming this week. Little else.”