Enric Mas Rising Star

[perico]

I don't remember that, but knowing how crash prone Mas is, that's not really surprising to me. It doesn't exactly speak in favor of Mas in my book, though.

Tirreno Adriatico and Basque Country in 2022 off the top of my head. I don’t consider it a major race but he was the 2nd strongest to Pogacar last year at in the first race of the year (name slipped me) but flatted and ended up 5th.

Can’t remember the 3rd he crashed out in but I don’t doubt it.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

2nd strongest to Pogacar last year at in the first race of the year (name slipped me)

Vuelta Andalucia

 

[ice&fire]

Tirreno Adriatico and Basque Country in 2022 off the top of my head. I don’t consider it a major race but he was the 2nd strongest to Pogacar last year at in the first race of the year (name slipped me) but flatted and ended up 5th.

Can’t remember the 3rd he crashed out in but I don’t doubt it.

He crashed also in Dauphiné '22, the day Verona won. Mas finished the stage but DNS the day after.

 

[staubsauger]

It's the Tour and Vuelta for Mas - well good luck to him, but I can not see him getting better then about a 6th spot on GC. If Nairoman does the Tour too, then it might help but it might also lead to more leadership problems.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/enric-mas-all-in-for-tour-de-france-in-2024/

Wait, Mas actually wanted to do the Giro d'Italia and Movistar insists on failure at the Tour de France instead!?

 

[AmRacer]

Poor Mas, those youngsters are so good.

 

[Simurgh]

What's been happening to him?

 

[Movitrain]

What's been happening to him?

Apart from the Tour de France never treating him well, there isn't too much information about Mas' condition, Movistar social media accounts did not even mention his name over the last couple of days.

My best guess is that morale quickly dropped after the Galibier stage where he might have had an awful day or his shape just isn't where it should be, but after the ITT it was already rather blatant that a Top 10 would clearly be out of reach. Since then, the approach for the rest of the Tour seems to have been to get some KMs in and preserve energy for a stage like today.

 

[perico]

He had a strange schedule this year as though La Vuelta is his one goal. No 1 day races all spring, Tour de Suisse, Romandie.

This TdF was very predictable for Enric, and I’m a fan of the guy.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Going super hot as usual in the Vuelta. The weather is a bonus for him, so although the stage to Granada isn't a MTF, thats a huge one before a bit cooler temperatures will hit. And I have said repeatedly that I think its the hardest stage in the Vuelta and the stage with the most potential of carnage and huge gains, so hopefully he will be ready!

O'Connor grabbing the jersey with such a big lead might be a blessing in disguise. Roglic would be a hard one to crack, he still is, but maybe he will expose himself a bit more in order to claw back time if Ben proves to be a real threat. That could lead to harder racing and Enrici swooping in and grabbing the win if Roglic makes mistakes.

 

[Movitrain]

Going super hot as usual in the Vuelta. The weather is a bonus for him, so although the stage to Granada isn't a MTF, thats a huge one before a bit cooler temperatures will hit. And I have said repeatedly that I think its the hardest stage in the Vuelta and the stage with the most potential of carnage and huge gains, so hopefully he will be ready!

O'Connor grabbing the jersey with such a big lead might be a blessing in disguise. Roglic would be a hard one to crack, he still is, but maybe he will expose himself a bit more in order to claw back time if Ben proves to be a real threat. That could lead to harder racing and Enrici swooping in and grabbing the win if Roglic makes mistakes.

I like your optimism, but this is far from a two horse race between Enric and Roglic. Yes, Primoz is very likely going to be the guy to beat, but personally I still believe that Joao Almeida is all around just going to be stronger than Enric. He will need a little bit of luck on his side, I assume.

 

[Red Rick]

Today is just doing his best not to podium surely

 

[Valv.Piti]

Going super hot as usual in the Vuelta. The weather is a bonus for him, so although the stage to Granada isn't a MTF, thats a huge one before a bit cooler temperatures will hit. And I have said repeatedly that I think its the hardest stage in the Vuelta and the stage with the most potential of carnage and huge gains, so hopefully he will be ready!

O'Connor grabbing the jersey with such a big lead might be a blessing in disguise. Roglic would be a hard one to crack, he still is, but maybe he will expose himself a bit more in order to claw back time if Ben proves to be a real threat. That could lead to harder racing and Enrici swooping in and grabbing the win if Roglic makes mistakes.

What we saw today was to some extent what I thought would happen. Under normal circumstances, I think Rog would play it a bit more defensive than today and Mas can sit comfortably in the wheel. Some of the same tomorrow, but even if Mas should be stronger, its very hard for him to gain time on Roglic on that stage. Mas is just too limited as a rider outside of his climbing unless Roglic is bad.

Beginning on stage 13 though, Mas can start to claw back time on Roglic, but obviously needs incredibly good legs to do so. Ancares, Cuitu Negru, Covadona, Moncalvillo and Picón Blanco is hard enough that the best climber should win, and Im still confident in Enric

 

[ice&fire]

What we saw today was to some extent what I thought would happen. Under normal circumstances, I think Rog would play it a bit more defensive than today and Mas can sit comfortably in the wheel. Some of the same tomorrow, but even if Mas should be stronger, its very hard for him to gain time on Roglic on that stage. Mas is just too limited as a rider outside of his climbing unless Roglic is bad.

Beginning on stage 13 though, Mas can start to claw back time on Roglic, but obviously needs incredibly good legs to do so. Ancares, Cuitu Negru, Covadona, Moncalvillo and Picón Blanco is hard enough that the best climber should win, and Im still confident in Enric

I just want to see Mas and Landa together sprinting to the line at least once

 

[Valv.Piti]

I just want to see Mas and Landa together sprinting to the line at least once

Chances are you will get to see that tomorrow. Who wins?

 

[ice&fire]

Chances are you will get to see that tomorrow. Who wins?

My take is that Landa is the better descender

 

[Movitrain]

I like your optimism, but this is far from a two horse race between Enric and Roglic. Yes, Primoz is very likely going to be the guy to beat, but personally I still believe that Joao Almeida is all around just going to be stronger than Enric. He will need a little bit of luck on his side, I assume.

Guess i can throw that take into the wind (the Almeida part, that is).

Enric looks like he is in incredible shape, and it would be a shame if he didn't turn that into a stage win. I just can't fathom him winning ... anything really.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Well, Almeida catching COVID is what happens. Might as well have happened for Mas or Roglic.

I don't think I said its a two horse race, but after stage 4, I was quite confident that it would be between Roglic, Mas, Almeida and Landa. Almeida is now elimanated and Ben is in the mix, but I don't rate him much at all. So its Roglic, Mas and Landa realistically able to win the race, and right now that hierarchy is pretty clear in terms of what spots they are landing at. But we haven't seen a proper mountain stage yet and we will tomorrow and I will be very surprised if Roglic turns out to be flat out stronger. If anything, I expect Mas to be stronger than Roglic on tomorrow's stage, but even if he is, its hard for Mas to gain time.

 

[perico]

I have avoided this thread not because I have lost faith in Enric, because it has been so damn depressing every year outsideof late August and early September. I am currently feeling optimistic.

I don’t think there is a better climber in the race right now, and he kept the gap in the first TT to Roglic at 20 seconds.

Tomorrow isn’t an Enric stage. Not steep at all. He’s going to have to hold his time tomorrow and hopefully not get into a situation where he and Roglic are ahead of everyone else. If they do end up alone again, he needs to put everything into the next to last KM where it kicks up to 9% before leveling out back to 5%. He can’t keep losing bonus seconds.

If the gap remains the same after tomorrow, then hold matches and Friday we have Ancares followed by Cuitu Negru on Sunday, with Covadonga on Tuesday. However, Saturday will be dangerous with the descent after a category 1 to the finish.

Roglic cracked a bit last Sunday, so maybe the strain of a week causes him more issues.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Mas is looking great, love to see it. It’s looking like it will come down to the wire in the ITT with Mas ahead going into it, from what we’ve seen. Time to unleash the killer Contador instinct.

 

[Mako]

I have avoided this thread not because I have lost faith in Enric, because it has been so damn depressing every year outsideof late August and early September. I am currently feeling optimistic.

I don’t think there is a better climber in the race right now, and he kept the gap in the first TT to Roglic at 20 seconds.

Tomorrow isn’t an Enric stage. Not steep at all. He’s going to have to hold his time tomorrow and hopefully not get into a situation where he and Roglic are ahead of everyone else. If they do end up alone again, he needs to put everything into the next to last KM where it kicks up to 9% before leveling out back to 5%. He can’t keep losing bonus seconds.

If the gap remains the same after tomorrow, then hold matches and Friday we have Ancares followed by Cuitu Negru on Sunday, with Covadonga on Tuesday. However, Saturday will be dangerous with the descent after a category 1 to the finish.

Roglic cracked a bit last Sunday, so maybe the strain of a week causes him more issues.

The longer the climb, the better the Mas.

Agreeing about the Roglic crack, but you also have to consider that the first week is by far the longest. This week at least started somewhat easy and has only 6 stages compared to the 9 stages of the first week. So many variables, but somethings gonna give.

 

[scribers]

Bruyneel thinks mas will win the vuelta

 

[dobrien]

It would be SO amazing for Enric (and Movistar) to take this; nothing against any of the other guys but I'm firmly in the "VAMOS ENRIC!!" camp!

 

[Valv.Piti]

Oh well, looks like a GG unless Roglic has a few bad days. Suddenly needs to make up lots of time, but its also true that Ancares was the one of the remainding MTFs that suited him worst.

 

[Gigs_98]

It's just so infuriating that the one day where he was head and shoulders above the rest the best climber ended with all contenders finishing on the same time. If they had finished on Hazallanas he would still be behind Roglic now but it would very much be game on. Now I'm starting to worry he'll start defending his podium.

 

[Red Rick]

Well it's not exactly likely that group finishes all together on top if the finish is on top.