Enric Mas explains his disappointing end of the Vuelta a Espana: "My strength is not with me, I'm exhausted"
Cycling
A very complicated Vuelta a Espana for Movistar Team and its leader, Enric Mas, who has not had the legs he expected during the last week and has been relegated to a more than disappointing sixth place that seems difficult to leave.
The runner-up in the last two editions of the Spanish Grand Tour was aware that with the line-up in 2023 it was complicated for him to opt for victory, but in recent years he had shown himself to be a solid rider capable of holding off Primoz Roglic in the high mountains in 2021 and Remco Evenepoel and Primoz himself until he fell in 2022.
However, this year he has sunk into misery. In the Angliru he didn't make the grade and lost all his podium chances. He had already shown signs that he was not up to the level of the Jumbo-Visma and now it doesn't even look like he will be the best Spaniard overall, since Mikel Landa is finishing the Vuelta very well and Juan Ayuso is also at a good level.
Enric acknowledged after stage 18, in which he ended up leading the group of favorites, that he had spent two very bad days and that he hoped to feel better in the Sierra de Madrid stage next Saturday: "Today it's true that I was able to get to the top of the general classification, but my strength is not with me. I've had 2 - 3 very hard days and I'm exhausted. Hopefully in the Sierra de Madrid the sensations will change, but for now my body needs to recover."
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Juan LarraCycling Journalist
Juan Larra is a writer for Cyclinguptodate and editor-in-chief of Ciclismoaldia, where he has played a central role since its inception. Under his leadership, the website has become a trusted source for professional cycling coverage, offering in-depth analysis, news, and feature stories.
A sports journalist with over 20 years of experience, Juan earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Seville in 2007. He began his career covering a wide range of sports—including football, basketball, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and cycling—for platforms such as the official La Liga app, Vodafone and Movistar websites, NBA Blogdebasket, and Cadena Cope, honing his skills in writing and editorial management.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Juan contributes to Cyclinguptodate and serves as editor-in-chief for the tennis-focused site Tenisaldia. Throughout his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with cyclists and sports figures, provided detailed analysis of competitions ranging from local Spanish races to major international events, and acted as a special correspondent at prestigious races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.
Juan’s combination of experience, expertise, and direct access to athletes has established him—and the platforms he leads—as authoritative voices in professional cycling.
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- Where Merckx just rode every single race he could and won all the time, Hinault won less often (percentage wise) because he was more judicious in what he raced. His palmares are nuts. He had amazing rivals, one to start his career and another to end it in the grand tours. His classics were solid. What sets him apart from Merckx and Pogačar are that he basically dabbled in the classics while the other two love(d) them. I used to compare Pogačar to Hinault for his grand tour record and occasional classics win, until I realized that the comparison was wrong. Pogačar loves the classics - ah, the memory of his reaction to finishing fourth in a 2 person sprint in Flanders in ‘22: utter domination in any one day race since then, even when he doesn’t win. Hinault lived for the grand tours and I don’t think anyone else will ever reach his record. 10 wins in 13 attempts? Good lord. An amazing rider. Wish there was more footage to watch.RidesHills11-11-2026
- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
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- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
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¡Guarden esta imagen para sus retinas! Enric Mas marcándose un ataque a 300 metros de Meta. 😂😂😂 #LaVuelta23
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