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Enric Mas Rising Star

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No problem, there are a lot of talented spaniards out there and Movistar is the only Spanish team on the WT.

Wait.. you're telling me Ayuso signed until 2028? I didn't even know that was a number. Well, then there's the next best thing Carlos Rodriguez, another great talent of Spain. But... wait.. you're telling me he's signed for Ineos?
Movistar have 2 options when it comes to young spaniards: Either they manage to grab Carlos after 2023, or Igor Arrieta.
 
Yet another masterful defensive display today from the CN favorite Enric Mas

He rode like a champ today. He can hold his head high. He and Remco are the strongest riders in the race (along with the now departed Roglic). Anybody bitching about him today is just bitter. I quit posting in this thread because I got tired of talking to myself, but am glad to see it appear again.
 
Yeah, everyone once expected Mas to be like Indurain or Contador. Then it became clear that he probably never will reach the level of Indurain and Contador.

But he‘s really good and probably still improves.

The TdF for exemple never is fully predictable. Spanish riders Pereiro and Sastre won it. With quite a bit of luck, in a good year, Mas even could win the Tour someday.

Unzue will be happy with him after this Vuelta.
 
Yeah, everyone once expected Mas to be like Indurain or Contador. Then it became clear that he probably never will reach the level of Indurain and Contador.

But he‘s really good and probably still improves.

The TdF for exemple never is fully predictable. Spanish riders Pereiro and Sastre won it. With quite a bit of luck, in a good year, Mas even could win the Tour someday.

Unzue will be happy with him after this Vuelta.
No they definitely didn't. Indurain is a completely different rider, and only a very select few like Remco can be compared to his skillset (even still not the same at all, but closer than basically everyone atm). In regards to Contador, you'd have to be all kind of stupid to expect Mas to amount to the same rider as Contador, a generational talent at his best with 9 GTs to show for it.

Mas was never supposed to be that kind of rider, but he was supposed to be the rider that could net you very consistent GT-riding and winning one, maybe 2 GT's. Similar to Sastre ability and characteristics, but a bit more talent.
 
No they definitely didn't. Indurain is a completely different rider, and only a very select few like Remco can be compared to his skillset (even still not the same at all, but closer than basically everyone atm). In regards to Contador, you'd have to be all kind of stupid to expect Mas to amount to the same rider as Contador, a generational talent at his best with 9 GTs to show for it.

Mas was never supposed to be that kind of rider, but he was supposed to be the rider that could net you very consistent GT-riding and winning one, maybe 2 GT's. Similar to Sastre ability and characteristics, but a bit more talent.

Yeah, but I mean, humans look for improvement, and Spain almost always had these strong stage race winners and Grand Tour winners. When Contador disappeared, understandably people looked for someone new… And Mas did not disappoint and became second in Vuelta GC quite early.
 
I've been describing Enric Mas as the new Carlos Sastre for a long time now. It took Sastre until he had double figures of GT top 10s before he finally won one and that was with the benefit of a lot of major riders being absent for a variety of reasons. But his class was self-evident throughout his career and he was never bad - but his lack of explosivity meant he had very little by way of one-day palmarès and limited short stage racing results, so he lived and died by what he produced in the Grand Tours.
 
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I've been describing Enric Mas as the new Carlos Sastre for a long time now. It took Sastre until he had double figures of GT top 10s before he finally won one and that was with the benefit of a lot of major riders being absent for a variety of reasons. But his class was self-evident throughout his career and he was never bad - but his lack of explosivity meant he had very little by way of one-day palmarès and limited short stage racing results, so he lived and died by what he produced in the Grand Tours.

Sastre was not afraid to go all-in from pretty far out

Crashed leading the race on the stage to Murcia in the 2001 Vuelta

Attacked from far out on the last climb on the stage to La Plagne in the 2002 Tour

Attacked on the Mirador del Fito in the 2003 Vuelta

Attacked from pretty far out on the last climb on the Covadonga in the 2005 Vuelta

Toussuire and Joux-Plane in the 2006 Tour

Attacked from very far out on the stage to Gourette in the 2007 Tour

The day when he dislodged Efimkin from 2nd in the 2007 Vuelta

Mas may be the new Sastre, but I would also add that he is a far more boring version
 
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Sastre was not afraid to go all-in from pretty far out

Crashed leading the race on the stage to Murcia in the 2001 Vuelta

Attacked from far out on the last climb on the stage to La Plagne in the 2002 Tour

Attacked on the Mirador del Fito in the 2003 Vuelta

Attacked from pretty far out on the last climb on the Covadonga in the 2005 Vuelta

Toussuire and Joux-Plane in the 2006 Tour

Attacked from very far out on the stage to Gourette in the 2007 Tour

The day when he dislodged Efimkin from 2nd in the 2007 Vuelta

Mas may be the new Sastre, but I would also add that he is a far more boring version
Sure, but at the age Mas is now, only the first two of those had happened. Maybe Mas will have to come out of his shell more if he continues to be usurped and passed by as a result of younger and more dynamic stars coming through, or maybe he'll fade to obscurity for lacking some of the weapons - or the exuberance - of said riders.
 
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Sure, but at the age Mas is now, only the first two of those had happened. Maybe Mas will have to come out of his shell more if he continues to be usurped and passed by as a result of younger and more dynamic stars coming through, or maybe he'll fade to obscurity for lacking some of the weapons - or the exuberance - of said riders.

Projecting how Mas may have to ride in the future does not make him a more exciting rider today.
 
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He’s a more defensive rider but don’t understand all the hate towards him. In fact he’s been more offensive in the last stages and no one knows what he will do next Saturday. He’s also receiving to much pressure around Movistar relegation fight with Lotto Soudal and the need of securing that podium might be more important then try an all in or nothing regarding the win. IMO he just needs to be more confident because as we see when in peak form he’s one hell of a climber!
 
Projecting how Mas may have to ride in the future does not make him a more exciting rider today.
He sure as hell provided fireworks today, and he has put in attacks in his Vueltas, such as on stage 9 and 12 last year and the Angliru in 2020, as well as his stage win in 2018. People label him as boring because at the TDF he has not shown out like he has at La Vuelta, but they seem to ignore the times he does go in because it doesn't fit the narrative.
 
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He sure as hell provided fireworks today, and he has put in attacks in his Vueltas, such as on stage 9 and 12 last year and the Angliru in 2020, as well as his stage win in 2018. People label him as boring because at the TDF he has not shown out like he has at La Vuelta, but they seem to ignore the times he does go in because it doesn't fit the narrative.

I think he get labeled as boring because he was built up as a Contador successor, continuing to be talked about as a potential GT winner despite never really riding like one (yes, he'll probably have 3 GT second places in 3 days time, so I fully understand that it's a bit controversial on my part) and having done impressively well at a Vuelta at 23 as a second year WT rider so people naturally wonder if has more to give than he is actually showing as it would be reasonable to expect that he is a better rider now.
 
Mas today really won a pro one-day road race. He doesn‘t have much punch, so these races don‘t suit him very much.

He obviously still is in great shape. I however think Pogacar is favourite for Il Lombardia.

Mas now will at least try to win Lombardia. On the other hand, Unzue will want him (Mas) to help Valverde to crown his (Valverde’s) career, by winning Lombardia, which will be Valverde‘s last race ever.
 
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