“Maybe somebody like Paul can drop me” - Enric Mas lets Seixas go before fighting back to Il Lombardia podium
Cycling
Enric Mas has followed his breakthrough Vuelta a Espana victory with second place at Il Lombardia, resisting the temptation to follow Paul Seixas when the 20-year-old made his winning move on Civiglio and instead climbing his way back onto the podium.
The Movistar leader crossed the line 48 seconds behind Seixas and 17 seconds ahead of Giulio Ciccone, adding a Monument runner-up finish to a season in which he finally claimed the Grand Tour victory that had eluded him throughout his career.
Mas sticks to his numbers as Seixas goes clear
When Seixas increased the pace on Civiglio, Tom Pidcock and Ciccone initially remained closest to the Frenchman. Mas took a different approach, refusing to go beyond the effort he knew he could sustain as the riders ahead began to separate.
“I had my numbers, so I was confident and I followed the numbers,” Mas told Cycling Pro Net afterwards. “Maybe somebody like Paul can drop me, but I was confident in that. I followed the plan and, in the end, it was super.”
Seixas continued alone towards Como, but Mas began making ground behind him. He caught and then distanced Ciccone before the finish, knowing that taking the Italian to the line was unlikely to work in his favour.
“He's a super-fast rider, so I had to try it,” Mas said. “And yeah, at the end I was lucky.”
Second place continued Mas's strong record on the Como finish at Lombardia, where he had already finished runner-up in 2022. “I really like it. I really like this finale,” he said. “Another time second here, so yeah, happy.”
From four months off the bike to Vuelta victory
The result completed a remarkable comeback season for Mas. His 2025 campaign had ended prematurely after thrombophlebitis was discovered in his left leg following the Tour de France, with surgery following later that year.
His return to racing in 2026 did not immediately bring the results he wanted. Mas finished 32nd on his Giro d'Italia debut in May, but his season was transformed later in the summer.
At the Vuelta a Espana, the Spaniard won on the Alto de Aitana, took the red jersey and eventually secured the first Grand Tour victory of his career. “I missed some good results in the beginning of the season because last year I had the operation,” Mas reflected after Lombardia. “I had to stay four months without nothing.”
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A little under a month after standing on the top step of the Vuelta a Espana podium, Mas has ended his season with another of the biggest results of his career. “I hope next season I can start a bit better and, if I can do the same as this year, I will be super happy.”
From a four-month lay-off to winning the Vuelta a Espana and finishing second at Il Lombardia, Mas will have a difficult 2026 to improve upon.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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