• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Enric Mas Rising Star

Page 32 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
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.
Punch is a weird word anyway, as it either means acceleration or bad at short climbnig efforts. Mas has had some really good results in climbs as short as 2-3 minutes at the Vuelta.
 
Nibali being bad on short and steep stuff really only happened at the 2017 Vuelta, aside from that it was generally overblown, and Emilia doing 5 repetions in quick succession doesn't hurt either.

I genuinely wonder what time the men would do on San Luca with a parcours like the women.
That’s something to put in a box of something that we would never want to happen.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Let’s appreciate just how strong and aggressive Mas has looked. It seems like hitting rock bottom and rebounding has finally given him real confidence in his abilities. One of the frustrations for fans of Mas is that he has all the physical capabilities to be an elite rider, but had yet to put it all together. It always seemed mental and he was timid. Really since about halfway through the Vuelta it seems he’s finally comfortable with who he is as a rider.
 
Great finish of 2022 season. I was expecting some of that that at queen stage at Vuelta. Nonetheless a superb season finish. And i guess now that Valverde has finished his career. Mas will try to take the spotlight in 2023 season.
Reading today that he suffered from fear of descending makes it that much more explainable why he didn't enjoy the Tour. That's a hard fear to overcome, particularly in the GTs where it's almost always balls out.
 
The below excellent quote applies equally to descending mountains as cobbles:



I think this is where Mas needs to work on?
He sounds like he's adjusted. There wasn't much elaboration and my response on "visioning" your path is applicable to so many sports that operate on variable courses. Car racing, motoX, skiing.
Cobbles is a great example. You'd better be seeing the pave' you're going to ride on in 10 meters and guess at what the guy in front of you will do. You can't always guess right but the great guys seem to know where to see the course and how to respond. The fan debate about GT riders maybe winning Roubaix is a good example of an unknown until our heroes attempt it.
 
He sounds like he's adjusted. There wasn't much elaboration and my response on "visioning" your path is applicable to so many sports that operate on variable courses. Car racing, motoX, skiing.
Cobbles is a great example. You'd better be seeing the pave' you're going to ride on in 10 meters and guess at what the guy in front of you will do. You can't always guess right but the great guys seem to know where to see the course and how to respond. The fan debate about GT riders maybe winning Roubaix is a good example of an unknown until our heroes attempt it.
Yours was a great post and I have experienced this myself. When you are riding confidently you see through rather than react. As you said, when you react it’s already too late - you lost time. You are also right that this is the key skill in being a fast driver.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Its just unlucky timing for Mas to compete against Evenepoel and Pogacar. Sure, that can be said about a lot of guys, but dumb Mas in literally any other period and he'd win more. He needs at least one Vuelta, but now the problem is you have these young Spaniards in the future.

But again, Carlos Sastre won a Tour de France, so Enric Mas sure as hell can also win one.
 

TRENDING THREADS