“It’s one less day” - Enric Mas wants to seal La Vuelta victory in Sierra Nevada
CyclingFriday, 11 September 2026 at 18:18
Enric Mas approached the finish at Peñas Blancas with the calm of someone who knows that each passing day brings him closer to an objective that, only weeks ago, seemed far more distant. The Movistar Team rider once again defended the red jersey with authority on an especially demanding day and, although he couldn’t cap it with a stage win, he emerged strengthened from one of the last big battles before Granada.
“A good stage and a little bit closer to making the red jersey our goal, which was a stage.” he explained to RTVE after crossing the line. The Spanish rider acknowledged that the hardness of La Vuelta and the difficulty of winning a stage mean that each day gained also carries special weight in his fight for the overall.
“You can see how hard it is to win a stage and, well, it’s one less day. We’ve got two to go and little by little, we’ve already spent many days in red. We’re really enjoying it and we’re going for tomorrow,” said the Movistar Team leader, aware that every day ticked off narrows his rivals’ room for manoeuvre and brings the race closer to its conclusion.
Mas’ composure throughout the stage was one of the standout images. He not only responded solidly on the final climb to Peñas Blancas, but also stayed alert earlier in the day when Richard Carapaz and Primož Roglič sparked different moves. From the outside, the leader seemed fully in control, a feeling the rider himself confirmed after the finish.
“Yes, yes, it was the same as mine, well, the one I’ve just described now. So, nothing, we’re happy,” Mas replied when asked if that was also his view from inside the bunch. A brief but telling answer about the control he maintained on a day when any mistake could have reshaped the general classification.
Enric Mas will go into stage 20 of La Vuelta in the red jersey
The value of a team
Much of that serenity also came from his teammates’ work. Jorge Arcas dug deep to get back to the group after being distanced at one of the trickiest moments, while Movistar Team stayed around their leader for most of the stage.
Mas wanted to highlight that collective effort. “Well, you can see how important a team is. You’ve seen what they did today and now we’ve got one more day of full focus, and then comes the day in Granada,” stressed the Balearic.
That “one more day” is precisely the next stage, one of the big appointments of this Vuelta a España. Mas knows the red jersey will face its definitive test before the finish, but he also arrives having cleared another mountain day without losing time.
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Asked whether tomorrow could be the most important day of his career, the leader refused to hand it that title just yet. “Well, it’s an important day in the trajectory of my career and it could be, it could be yes,” he answered prudently.
La Vuelta now enters its decisive stretch with Enric Mas still in red and a team ready to defend it to the final kilometre. After Peñas Blancas, only the last big challenge in Granada remains.
Javier RampeCycling Journalist
Javier Rampe is a sports analyst with more than 15 years of experience. He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Rome and a Diploma in Business Studies from the University of Cádiz. Despite coming from an academic background not particularly associated with cycling, his passion for both cycling and journalism was instilled in him from an early age. He grew up following Miguel Indurain and José María “El Chava” Jiménez. An admirer of Michael Robinson’s communication style and journalistic approach, he was inspired to pursue a degree in Journalism at the University of Buenos Aires, which he is currently completing.
He has always maintained close ties with the worlds of sport and culture, contributing from a young age to sports blogs and film and music review websites. His work has appeared in media outlets such as Cope, RAI, and Radio Con Vos. He is also the founder of the cycling-focused podcast El Contraanálisis and the football interview channel Días De Fútbol, dedicated to conversations with professional footballers.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Javier has interviewed some of the most influential figures in modern cycling, including Alejandro Valverde and Tadej Pogačar, as well as key voices in anti-doping policy such as Alberto Yelmo, David Varillas, and Marcelo Milano. Marcos Maynar, in relation to the ‘Operación Ílex’ case, is also among the personalities he has interviewed. He enjoys conducting in-depth analysis of the cycling ecosystem and has attended major events such as Strade Bianche, the Vuelta a Andalucía, and Itzulia, as well as numerous national cyclo-cross races.
His background in economics, combined with extensive experience in marketing and corporate communications, drives his continuous study of positioning strategies and ensures that he always keeps his focus on crafting compelling and evocative headlines.
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