“I’ve had a few strange days in terms of how I’m feeling” – Enric Mas opens up ahead of delayed 2026 return

After more than six months away from racing, Enric Mas will finally pin on a race number again this week, marking the true start of his 2026 season. His comeback comes at the Trofeo Ses Salines as part of the Challenge Mallorca, a race held this year as a team time trial and one that carries both sporting and personal significance.

It will be the first competitive appearance for the Movistar Team leader since last summer, when his season was abruptly halted at the Tour de France due to thrombophlebitis.

The condition required surgery and a long recovery period, keeping him away from the peloton far longer than expected. Now, racing close to home, Mas is ready to begin again, even if the sensations are unfamiliar.

“I’ve had a few strange days in terms of how I’m feeling,” Mas admits to AS. “A lot of time has passed since July. I’ve been at training camps with my team-mates, but now I finally have that feeling of coming back.”

The road back has not been straightforward. Mas describes the early stages of the injury as particularly difficult, before the situation gradually became easier to manage. The surgery itself was a new experience, something he had never faced before in his career, but one he accepted as part of a necessary process.

His return in Mallorca has been carefully chosen. The short, controlled effort of a team time trial suits his current condition, even if expectations remain deliberately modest. After months spent training conservatively to protect his recovery, Mas is realistic about where he stands physically and is focused on rebuilding step by step rather than chasing immediate results.

The support around him has played a central role throughout that period. Time at home, something rare in his professional life, meant relying heavily on family and close friends. Becoming a father of two has also reshaped his perspective, although the desire to return to racing has never faded.

Mas’s comeback also marks the beginning of a significant shift in his career planning. For the first time, he will move away from his long-established Tour de France routine. Instead, his 2026 season will be built around a Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana double, leaving the Tour out entirely.

From 2019 through to 2025, every July was defined by the Tour. This year, the summer looks very different. Mas describes the change as a deliberate search for renewed motivation after years of following the same structure.

“It’s a new challenge for me,” he says. “I’ve been doing the same calendar routine for many years, and I wanted something different, something that gives me extra motivation.”

Before the injury disrupted his momentum, Mas had shown strong form in several early-season races. The long pause that followed changed everything, forcing a reset both physically and mentally. Rather than dwell on the races he missed, his focus now is firmly on what lies ahead.

The immediate roadmap is already clear. After his return in Mallorca, Mas will head to the UAE Tour, followed by an altitude training camp. From there, the goal is to reach the Volta a Catalunya closer to peak condition, before turning his full attention to the Giro d’Italia.

Early-season race selection has been carefully tailored to his strengths, with an emphasis on building confidence and form rather than simply adding race days. Even the presence of other high-profile contenders at the Giro is not something occupying his thoughts right now, as Mas admits he follows little cycling news when away from the team environment.

July, traditionally dominated by the Tour de France, will instead be used to prepare for the Vuelta. While some details remain open, races like the Vuelta a Burgos are already pencilled in as part of that build-up.

The biggest unknown remains how his body will respond to the demands of a Giro and Vuelta double. Mas, however, approaches the challenge with quiet confidence, suggesting the different rhythm of the season may actually suit him better.

For now, the priority is simple. Get back into the peloton, rediscover race sensations, and allow the season to grow naturally from there. Mallorca is not about results. It is about the return.