The opening stage Vuelta a Andalucia came to a close with Tadej Pogcar securing the victory, while Enric Mas of the Movistar was in a promising position to clinch a podium finish before experiencing a setback when his chain suddenly locked, leading to a significant time loss.
"Mechanical failure, that's part of the sport," Mas told after the race. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to counter Pogacar's attack and continued to ride alongside Mikel Landa, Carlos Rodriguez, and Sergio Buitrago. Unfortunately, his fortunes took a turn for the worse at a pivotal moment. “We knew Tadej was okay. He went off on his own and we have to congratulate him for that,” he said.
He was forced to wait for Movistar's support vehicle because of his broken bike. After the bike was replaced, he found himself cycling alongside Tao Geoghegan Hart, Pavel Sivakov, Damiano Caruso, and others.“Those things happen, Still, I can be a little satisfied, because I felt pretty good,” concluded Mas.
🇪🇸👋🟢⚪ @EnricMasNicolau y Movistar Team ya cubren una @VCANDALUCIA #69RdS que podéis seguir en 📺 @Eurosport_ES y @teledeporte desde las 14.00h. ⛰️🎢 La jornada más exigente en lo altimétrico, con tres 'primeras' hacia Santiago de la Espada, hoy miércoles. 📸 @SprintCycling
