"I don’t know why they criticize him" - Alejandro Valverde defends Enric Mas over criticism of Spanish fans

Spanish cycling has had many great stars over the decades. Most recently, riders like Alberto Contador and Alejandro Valverde got the fans used to winning at the absolute highest levels. Currently, the Spaniards don't have the same level they used to and that leads to a terrible amount of criticism to riders such as Enric Mas and Juan Ayuso who suffer from a lot of pressure. Alejandro Valverde comes out to defend his teammate.

“We’ve entered in a loop where this is just the way it is. And I don’t know why they criticize him. When he attacks from afar, they criticize him; when he comes up short, they also criticize him. I don’t understand it," Valverde shared with Rouleur. Valverde retired in 2022 and still teamed up with Mas for several years, alongside his current ambassador role for the team. Certainly, he's also had a role of guide to a young Mas who was signed years ago by Movistar in hopes of being the next Spanish Grand Tour winner.

He laments that Mas suffers so much criticism from the country's own fans: “I think Spanish fans attack riders who don’t attack, but to attack for attacking’s sake doesn’t make sense. Enric thinks a lot, and for this reason people criticize him. When someone doesn’t feel 100%, they try to avoid errors and minimize risks and therefore don’t attack, and everyone is like this. Enric is a 10/10 rider and does everything he can.”

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Not only that, but the Spaniard is the undeniable leader of Movistar, and a rider who continues to obtain the same kind of results despite the emergence of a new generation. This year he had several strong GC results, combined with a third place at the Vuelta a España, Top10 at the World Championships and Top5 at Il Lombardia to end the season - also proving his talent in one-day races, even those that are not perfectly suited to him. He is the team's top UCI point scorer, which provides the team with safety against relegation.

“He has shown with three second-places at the Vuelta that he has a Vuelta win in his legs. Every year he has a stronger end to the season. He’s always good in the Vuelta and then in the Italian Classics,” 'Bala' complements. The same criticism that hits Mas can also be seen in someone like Juan Ayuso, who at a young age is also already under extreme attention. Mikel Landa could also be argued to be in the same position, but he is taken more positively by Spanish fans.

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Valverde does know that all of this affects Mas, an ironic situation as the Movistar rider is literally the one who has gotten the closest to winning a Grand Tour in recent years. “The pressure gets to him. It’s a little bit of his weak point. It happened to me as well: you arrive and you have the pressure of the team and everyone else behind you and it makes it harder. The Vuelta is more relaxed, it goes quicker, and being more relaxed is when he performs better. The Tour is always very hard.”

Valverde argues that it is indeed the right time to race the Giro d'Italia, a race that potentially suits him quite better than the Tour de France, but thata lot will also depend on the team's wishes: “Maybe it would be good to try the Giro to see what it’s like, how he feels. It’s a hard race, but it’s calmer, more relaxed. He could look to do the Giro and Vuelta, see how it is. But the Tour is the Tour, and the best team for the GC is with Enric, so it also depends on the sponsors.”

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