In 2021, Enric Mas reached the tenth stage in second position in the general classification, 28 seconds behind Roglic, and thus finished in the general classification. In 2022, he does it in the same square, but a little further from the red jersey, Remco Evenepoel: at 1:12. After a complicated Tour, in which he left due to COVID when things never turned out the way he would like. Now, back in La Vuelta, he is making a great version, like when he finished on the second step of the podium in 2018 and 2021. And now, would he repeat the position again or risk it to go for first place? “I would like to do an all or nothing”, highlights the Balearic to AS’s question at a press conference with the displaced media. “You have to be aware of the UCI points, that the team needs them to not descend. Later we will see if it can be done, but I would love it”.
Despite the fact that in Utrecht he started the race with some doubts, although with a very different state of mind from that shown in France, he admits that he is better than expected but he still “asks himself questions” about the bicycle: “On the slopes of Les Praeres, he hopes to do better than Evenepoelwith such hard ramps. Honestly, I don’t know if it can burst or not. The road from here to Madrid is long, but we have to be aware that we are seeing the best version of Remco”, acknowledges Mas about a leader who has never completed a Grand Tour (he only got to start the 2021 Giro).
About the other Spanish tricks, such as Carlos Rodríguez and Juan Ayuso, Mas praised their results so far: “Both of them are having a very good performance in their first Grand Tour. Now we come to Juan’s land, which is from around here (from Jávea) and shortly to the south, from Carlos. They are rivals, but thanks to them and a few others, Spanish cycling is being resurrected ”, admits the Movistar man about the Ineos, 21, and the UAE, 19. But, at 27, he is a ‘veteran’ compared to they.
The winner of the last three Vueltas, Roglic, continues to be a very important rival for Mas. The Slovenian is third. “We cannot forget about him. He has a time trial that suits him well and he will try for sure: in Sierra Nevada, Madrid… I don’t know, but I hope I can be at his level”. About the leader Remco, and before his show of “ambition to go for La Vuelta”, Enric Mas acknowledges that if the Belgian continues at this level “it would be almost impossible” but, as he emphasizes in all his statements since La Vuelta started: “Day to day”. However, the negative news of the morning in the Navarrese team it was the positive for COVID of Mathias Norsgaard, who abandons the race and leaves the number of Movistar runners in the race at seven. Australian Jarrad Drizners also leaves the Vuelta due to COVIDwho made his debut in a big one in the ranks of Lotto-Soudal.
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