Enric Mas: “It is the best moment of my sporting life and it is a moment that I will never forget”

Enric Mas He has been enjoying the red jersey of the Vuelta for a week and He already dreams of the possibility of arriving in Granada as Alberto Contador’s successor in the national record of the round. Before “a tough week”, but he appears confident, living “the best moment” of his life.

“I’m fine, looking forward to it. Today is a slightly calmer day and you have to enjoy it. Athletically, until today, I have been very good. After two weeks and having lived through such difficult times in recent months, it is grateful to be like this. It is true that there is a lot of work behind all this. It is perhaps the best moment of my life and I will never forget it,” Mas said on the rest day.

Mas has a good advantage in the general classification, 2.06 minutes over the Austrian Felix Gall and 2.10 with respect to the Slovenian Primoz Roglic.

“The truth is that I am not worried at all, but we know that there are a host of things that can happen in the race, such as some misfortune, but we are not going to think about that. Until today the team has been 10. We have always had things under control, so in that aspect I am confident in myself and the team“.

On the path of hope, says Mas, “you always think a little about what may happen this week, in this case about welcoming family and friends there in Granada. I like to think about it, but we are going to go slowly and meet objectives. I had never worn the leader’s jersey in a race, so it is a very special feeling to enjoy“.

“There is talk of the time trial, but first there are two stages that are also very importantthere will be 2 important mountain days left. The time trial doesn’t benefit me, but every day in the mountains I have been able to make time, so I don’t have to fear the time trial. The Vuelta is 21 days, not just 1 time trial,” he said.

Firm in his confidence, Mas insists that he is not afraid of “any stage. The dangerous thing is in all stages. There can be a misfortune at any time in the racebut the truth is that I fear nothing. We can’t think about that because otherwise we wouldn’t even be able to go out on the stage, so we’re going to continue.”

The great rival to beat in the time trial will be the Olympic champion Primoz in Tokyo 2021, the Slovenian Primoz Roglic, who “you always have to count on.”

Primoz not long ago won a Vuelta (2024). I see it the same as before. He is third overall and can never be ruled out. He is showing a great level and knows exactly how to win. It has 4 turns”.

In addition to Roglic and Galla, the leader of the Vuelta pointed out that there are more rivals to take into account.

“I think that apart from those two, there are more riders where we have to be very careful. There is the classification and we cannot be careless at any time. Félix Gall is a very, very good rider, he is in excellent shape and we must be careful with everyone.”

Leader Commitments

“After the stages there are some protocols that have to be attended to, and I have never done that before. I’m liking wearing the red jersey. It’s a very, very happy moment in my life, so I’m looking forward to it,” he explains.

To reach this moment, Mas considers that nothing has changed in his way of facing things.

“Yes, it is true that when you are the leader, maybe you are the one who does things first, but I try to do everything exactly the same as before and continue as I have done until now. I think we are doing a race of 10 and I think that has helped us.

If they win in Granada, Spanish cycling will end a 12-year drought. Since 2014 with Alberto Contador, the Vuelta has not had a Spanish champion.

“I’m glad that Spanish cycling is being enjoyed again, by us, by Movistar, who hasn’t led a big one for a few years now. Here is Alejandro Valverde, who knows exactly what it is. Everything that the fans help us at this time is appreciated and super nice.”

It will be a hard week

Wearing the red jersey has meant changes in the strategy to be followed by Movistar.

“If you have the leader of the race it is normal for the team to change the chip, not that we do not go to the breakaways to try to win. We have already won a stage, so now what we have to do is what we are doing. Defend ourselves and try to reach the Alhambra

“I think it’s going to be a tough week. In that aspect I think the teams are going to race a little crazy, and they will try to put us between a rock and a hard place, but I think we have the best management from the car and that the riders are confident, calm. We can benefit from all that.

Before the next World Cup in Montreal, Enric Mas was excited with joining the team that will represent Spain in the Canadian event.

“It’s clear that I want to go, I would like to be with the rest of the team there to be able to enjoy the World Cup.”. I think it will be like the Montreal classic, a little less hard, but in the end it is not the bullet that kills, but the speed. So I think it will be a replica of the classic one. “We hope to have a very good selection to be able to have a nice race.”