"I would like to know at least the month" - Enric Mac admits there's no prediction for his comeback from knee injury
Cycling
It has been known for weeks that Enric Mas will not compete again until the 2026 season. The Movistar Team leader injured his knee at the most recent Tour de France. The setback forced him to miss the Vuelta a Espana as well as the Italian classics at the end of the season. And the worst part is that he doesn't know when he'll be back.
In a conversation with AS colleagues, Enric Mas opened up about the whole process he is going through at the moment. For the Movistar Team star it is very hard to just sit idly and be unable to help his teammates in a race that was supposed to be the peak of his year. In the end, he has always been the image of the team in the race.
"As hard as all this is, I'm fine. But that's just it, not being able to ride a bike because of an injury is hard, and there's nothing else to do but accept it. It's true that it doesn't cause me physical pain, it just doesn't let me get on the bike or do sport," began the Balearic cyclist about his physical condition.
It was not known at what point Mas was injured during the Tour de France when his medical report was released. However, in these statements he revealed that it was at the moment of the fall of Joao Almeida, in the stage that brought riders twice up the Mur de Bretagne. The Spaniard escaped the fall but got a blow to his knee while doing so - similarly to Thibaut Pinot at the 2019 Tour de France.
The problem with Enric Mas' injury is that it is one that he had not experienced so far in his career: "It gives more respect because we are used to having muscle or bone injuries. And in this case it is, let's say, venous. Maybe the (team) doctors are more used to it, but we are not," added the Movistar Team rider.
Enric Mas injured in Tour de France and will not return until 2026
No return date
Enric's toughest statement came when he was asked about a return date, and the Balearic rider could not answer. The Spanish World Tour rider is not at all sure when he will be able to get back on a bike to compete. That is what worries him the most:
"It depends a lot on the deadlines they tell me. I have a checkup in a few weeks and then an intervention. That's when we'll be able to see the deadlines. Now, a week more or less won't change anything, but I would like to know in what month I will be able to start the preseason. I don't know if I will start competing in January, February, March, April? It depends on the recovery I have, it's hard," said Mas about his injury.
For now, as he said, the Spaniard has no choice but to wait. Right now, he's watching his Movistar Team fight in the Vuelta a España. The Movistar Team rider believes that he can win at least one stage from the breakaway, which is the goal:
"They will have many opportunities in the breakaways. Since I withdrew from the Tour I've hardly seen any of the routes or profiles, but I'm able to see the finishes on TV," concluded the 30-year-old.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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