Enric Mas, one of Tadej Pogacar’s main rivals? The stats back it up

Cycling
Friday, 28 August 2026 at 10:36
Mas and Pogacar going over the summit of Puerto El Bartolo
There’s a statistic that adds even more weight to what happened on Thursday in stage six of La Vuelta a España 2026. Since Il Lombardia 2022, Tadej Pogacar has contested only seven head-to-head sprints with a win on the line. Of those seven, three have been against Enric Mas, who is now the closest to him at the Spanish Grand Tour.
The first came at Il Lombardia 2022, when Pogacar and Mas reached the final kilometres together after dropping the rest of the favourites. The Slovenian prevailed in the sprint to claim his second straight Il Lombardia, while the Mallorcan had to settle for an outstanding second place.
Their second major duel arrived at the 2023 Vuelta a Andalucía. On stage four, finishing in Iznájar, they delivered another spectacular mano a mano. Mas struck first on the final climb, but Pogacar answered and took the win. It was further proof that the Spaniard was ready to go toe to toe with one of the sport’s dominant forces.

And now the third chapter has arrived

On El Bartolo, Enric Mas again managed to hold Pogacar’s wheel when the Slovenian launched his attack. He didn’t just resist: in the decisive section of the ascent, the Movistar Team rider moved ahead of the leader and crested first, before they tackled the descent to Castellón together.
It was an exceptional scenario. Pogacar had attacked, opened a small gap, and looked set for another solo exhibition. However, Mas reeled him in and turned the stage into a duel between two riders.
Mas and Pogacar going over the summit of Puerto El Bartolo
Mas and Pogacar going over the summit of Puerto El Bartolo
In the end, the script echoed Lombardia. Pogacar and Mas reached the finish together, and the Slovenian again proved quicker in the sprint. Three head-to-head duels, three wins for Pogacar, but also three top-level performances from Enric Mas.
The difference this time is the higher stakes. This wasn’t a one-day Classic or a stage of the Vuelta a Andalucía. It was a Vuelta a España stage, with the general classification at stake and Pogacar defending a lead that had looked utterly untouchable.
Mas didn’t win the stage, but he achieved something much more important for his podium bid: he moved up to second overall, 3:34 behind Pogacar, after distancing his main rivals.

Mas now second in the overall classification

That’s why the statistic of Pogacar’s seven head-to-head sprints now features one recurring name: Enric Mas. The Slovenian keeps winning these duels, but the Mallorcan again shows that, at his best, he’s one of the few who can take the fight to him directly.
Mas may not yet have found a way to beat Pogacar in a sprint. But he has found something that seemed far harder: the ability to stay with him all the way to the line.
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