Enric Mas did not have a good performance in the Criterium du Dauphiné and now the reasons have been revealed. According to Movistar Team assistant Leonardo Piepoli told BiciPro, Enric suffered from diarrhea during the French race, which set off all the alarms for the upcoming Tour de France.
"At first there was nervousness, but then we found out what happened. Enric had dysentery, a kind of diarrhea, but he didn't tell us for fear of making excuses. Now we have an explanation and we can continue working properly. We don't have to make a drama out of it or make excuses for something that was due to his stomach. We have to stay with the positive."
In the Spanish team they are not at all worried about Enric's poor performance in Dauphiné. Piepoli comments that the Mallorcan has never competed in the pre-Tour de France preparation race at a good level and then achieved good results in the Grande Boucle.
"The Dauphiné was the last test before the Tour. The fact that the race didn't go as we expected doesn't change our approach. Enric has never ridden well in Dauphiné, but then he's always done a great Tour. And it's better for this to happen to him now than for it to happen to him in the Tour."
Thus, the two Spaniards who should finish further ahead in the next Tour, both Mas and Mikel Landa, and who both failed extremely badly in the Dauphiné, have implied that they were not in shape in the race due to physical problems.
Enric Mas está dando pasos gigantescos como ciclista. No se resigna ante un monstruo como Pogačar. Se sabe inferior pero tiene la valentía y la ambición que le pedíamos en el pasado. Con esta actitud, nadie le reprochará nada. Al contrario, los aficionados solo podemos aplaudirle
