Enric Mas not ready "to support the dreams of a country" Eusebio Unzué says

Enric Mas has been an unlucky rider this season and Movistar Team are paying the price as they see themselves just above the red line when it comes to the teams that will have an UCI license over the next three years.

In an interview with El País, Movistar Team DS Eusebio Unzué said that "he's not ready for a role of responsibility in a team and to support the dreams of a country. We have to be patient and wait for Enric to reach maturity”. It is a constant in Spanish social media to see Mas and the Spanish team criticized, to which he has commented himself about it. With the fans hoping for replacements for the likes of Alberto Contador, Carlos Saste Joaquin Rodríguez and Alejandro Valverde, the pressure has fallen on the Mallorcan who has performed at a high level, but has not managed to bring in the wins the nation was accostumed to. 

After suffering damaging crashes at Tirreno-Adriatico, Itzulia Basque Country and Critérium du Dauphiné, aswell as abandoning the Tour de France with Covid-19, it is being a dreadful season for the 27-year old and the lack of points due to those incidents has also put Enric Mas under pressure. Still, he's scheduled to return to the Vuelta a Espana in hopes of recovering the flow.

“But I don't dare to say that Mas will be at the maximum for that appointment. He nevertheless never considered the possibility of not going there," he reveals. In the past two years Mas has ridden the Tour-Vuelta duo to great success, finishing second last year to Primoz Roglic. His current form is unknown, and undoubtedly his confidence must have taken a hit due to the events of the past few months.

Movistar are currently in 18th place in the UCI rankings, a complicated position just over the red line - albeit with a moderate buffer over Lotto Soudal and Israel - Premier Tech. "The differences are made by the riders and to have good riders you must be able to go on the market with a good financial availability," Unzué explained, justifying furthermore the difficulty to stay in a comfortable position.