Enric Mas and Movistar Team's horrible year: Has he been the worst leader of a WorldTour team in 2023?

The cycling season for the big stars has come to an end, and one of the worst offenders for his disappointing results and his position in the UCI rankings is Movistar Team leader Enric Mas. In a sport where the top riders are leaders in their teams and stand out in the UCI rankings, the absence of Mas in this elite is notable.

Throughout this article, we will explore his performance in comparison to other top cyclists and the challenges he faces.

The UCI ranking is a crucial reference to evaluate the performance of cyclists worldwide. However, Enric Mas, leader of Movistar Team, fails to rank among the top riders of his team. While other teams such as UAE have Tadej Pogacar, Jumbo-Visma have Jonas Vingegaard, and Soudal - Quick-Step have Remco Evenepoel, Movistar Team cannot boast Enric Mas as its leader in the ranking.

Mas finished the 2023 season ranked 45th in the UCI rankings, while his teammates, Matteo Jorgenson and Alex Aramburu, ranked 40th and 42nd respectively. This situation calls into question Mas' position as Movistar Team's leader and highlights the need to improve his performance in the future.

The loss of Matteo Jorgenson.

Movistar Team's situation is further aggravated by the news of the loss of Matteo Jorgenson, who stood out as the team's best rider in the UCI rankings. Jorgenson not only left the team but also launched harsh criticisms of the Spanish squad's way of working. This departure represents a major blow for the team, as they lose an outstanding and proven cyclist.

Currently, cyclists such as Pello Bilbao (ranked 17th), Mikel Landa (ranked 19th), Juan Ayuso (ranked 29th), Carlos Rodríguez (ranked 39th) and Alex Aramburu (ranked 42nd) surpass Enric Mas in the ranking. Another point that highlights Enric Mas' situation is his inability to achieve victories in the 2023 season. In addition, he has not won a stage in a grand tour in the last five years.