In an exclusive interview with Cadena SER's 'Carrusel Deportivo' and also published by AS newspaper, Enric Mas, Movistar Team rider, shared his feelings about his experience in the Tour de France, a race he had to abandon in the first stage due to a fall in the dangerous descent of El Vivero on the way to Bilbao.
The Spanish rider said that the last few weeks have been difficult for him, as he has avoided following the race closely, given the frustration of not being able to compete after the unfortunate accident. Mas said: "I feel good, eager to get to La Vuelta. It has been a difficult period, I have the feeling that it would have been a good Tour for me. I haven't seen much of the Tour, only the days when my teammates had a chance to win. I didn't want to watch it too much because it would have been bad for me and bad for the preparation for the Vuelta".
As for the fall that knocked him out of the race, the Movistar rider revealed that he knew immediately that he would not be able to continue: "When I took the bike and had to leave it because I could not lift weight, I already knew it was bad. When the doctors told me it was the shoulder, I thought about all the work behind it."
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Enric Mas also shared that, although he has not yet been able to train to the maximum for La Vuelta a España due to his injury, he is hopeful of arriving in top form for the Spanish race: "I'm not training to the fullest yet. I haven't been medically cleared for a long time. It's true that we're training, doing some hours, but it's no big deal. We won't be able to compete until the crack I have is healed, but hopefully I can make it to La Vuelta".
Finally, the cyclist valued the high participation expected in La Vuelta a España this year, especially after the confirmation of Jonas Vingegaard, recent Tour de France champion: "It has been a Tour that has gone very fast. We'll see if the favorites are in La Vuelta as good as in the Tour, hopefully. Vingegaard coming is good for the show and for the Vuelta. The more of us there are, the better we'll have a good time."