Alberto Contador's advice for Enric Mas against Primoz Roglic: "Go with him and at a given moment you have to attack him"
Cycling
Alberto Contador talked about stage 11 of the Vuelta a España that ended in Padrón and Enric Mas' chances of winning the race against a Primoz Roglic whom the Spaniard managed to drop in the stage to Granada with the long and steep ascent.
The winner of the 3 Vueltas, now a Eurosport commentator, was clear that the favorites had to take advantage of the day as they did to take time off leader Ben O'Connor:
"I was very clear that the general classification was going to move, it was a very good opportunity with low risk because it was 3 kilometers uphill and then the finish line was close. I expected it, it shows that Primoz's downturn the other day was a one-off," 'El Pistolero' argues.
On the strategy that Movistar Team and Enric Mas should follow to win the Vuelta, he believes that they should go for Roglic to take time from him. That right now allying with him can come in handy in some stages to take the red from O'Connor, but that he must not miss opportunities if he wants to win the race:
"He's interested in Primoz Roglic. Yes, ok, but be careful, because you can go there, go with him and at a given moment you have to attack him. You have to make up almost a minute plus at least another minute to have more margin for the final time trial and every day is one less sheet in the road book. Alliance yes, but you don't have to look for second place, you have to look for the victory in the Vuelta".
At the time being the duo sit second and third in the overall classification, still behind Ben O'Connor but the Australian has been consistently shedding time and is not currently in the position of main favourite to win the race. Mas is sitting 42 seconds behind the Slovenian but the truth is most of the race's most difficult stages are yet to come. Soon, summit finishes at Puerto de Ancares, Cuitu Negru and Lagos de Covadonga where there will be nowhere to hide.
Read also
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 2visitors 2
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
Loading
🇪🇸 #LaVuelta24 General tras la 11ª etapa en Padrón: 🔴 O’Connor (DAT) 2️⃣ Roglic (TVL) +3’16” 3️⃣ @EnricMasNicolau +3’58” 4️⃣ Carapaz (EFE) +4’10” 5️⃣ Landa (SOQ) +4’40” 6️⃣ Rodríguez (IGD) +5’23” 📸 @GettySport
Write a comment