Enric Mas cracks after trying to "make a difference on that final climb"

Enric Mas had yesterday a chance to deliver serious damage on Remco Evenepoel, however found himself below the level he's shown on the opening week. The leader of Movistar Team carried out an attack in the final ascent, but payed the price later on.

In the final ascent to Sierra de la Pandera, Enric Mas made a bit to drop Remco Evenepoel and bridge across to Primoz Roglic. The Spaniard succeeded, but later suffered as he went to deep into his attack together with Miguel Ángel Lópeaz. “I wanted to make a difference on that final climb. That's why I moved with Roglic," Mas described.

It is clear that he is recovering well, because if it is correct he has hardly ridden after the Tour de France, he will probably only get better this Vuelta," he said of Roglic. He couldn't keep up with the Slovenian as he cracked and lost almost half a minute in the final kilometers.

“Tomorrow [today] promises to be another difficult day. I'm glad I took some time back at Evenepoel today and we're going to make it a nice race," he concluded. He'll hope for a better day at Sierra Nevada, where he can make the differences he had hoped to do so today. He sits in third place now, 2:43 minutes behind Evenepoel, and 54 seconds behind Roglic.