Enric Mas: "When I race against Pogacar it's usually a good Enric, so that motivates me"

Enric Mas faces the 2024 season with great enthusiasm after a very complicated 2023 in which he could not shine neither in the Tour de France nor in the Vuelta a Espana. The Movistar Team Mallorcan hopes to reverse the situation in a key year for his future.

In a recent interview with the AS, Mas talks about what he expects from the upcoming campaign, his new teammate Nairo Quintana and how he sees world cycling, after a 2022 where he had brilliant form in the season finale and contested races alongside the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel.

NAIRO QUINTANA

"He became great here at Movistar. He had a four-year hiatus that he wasn't at home, but he was trusted again and I think, as a cycling fan, we're going to enjoy him".

OBJECTIVE TOUR-VUELTA

"We refocused to try to turn the situation around. We spent several days shuffling a little bit what we were doing, and the boss arrived and said to go ahead. In the Tour I have a big thorn in my side and we have to get it out."

BEGINNING CALENDAR 2024

"At first the idea is to start in Tirreno-Adriatico and continue with Volta a Catalunya, Romandie, Nationals and the Tour. Then there are the Olympic Games, which is not a lot for a rider with my characteristics, then La Vuelta and the World Championships, which is very hard this year. Finally, the Italian classics.

OLYMPIC GAMES

"If I do a super Tour then maybe I'll go for it... but then we have to prepare for La Vuelta, which will really be one of the strong points. We have to see how the season develops. I would also have to talk to Momparler [Spanish national coach, ed.), because there are very good national riders who also want to go".

DO YOU PREFER THE TOUR OR THE VUELTA?

"Both. They are very hard, and this year's Tour starts in Italy, a country I like a lot, and ends with a hard time trial that can make a big difference. In La Vuelta there are 13 mountainous stages. That says a lot."

DO NOT LOOK AT THE RIVALS' SCHEDULE.

"Honestly, no. In fact, I saw now that Pogacar was also doing Volta a Catalunya, When I race against him he's usually a good Enric, so that motivates me."

Article written by Juan Larra.