Movistar confident Enric Mas can breakthrough in 2023 - "He is the only one who has put up with Pogacar in 2022"

Enric Mas has put himself as one of the top climbers in the peloton, and in 2023 he will be aiming for another successful summer at the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana. Movistar Team's confidence in their leader is high.

“It has been positive. At the level of results we had a first part where we were up to par, a middle part where it cost us more and we had problems and a final stretch where we were good and with big surprises," Patxi Villa said in an interview with Marca. "I think the final balance is positive because we have learned a lot”.

“The team is adapting to the needs of modern cycling. We are still in this boat and we have to adapt. Now we have eight directors between men and women, we have grown in number," he continued. Whilst Annemiek van Vleuten turned the women's team into an absolute success story, the men's team struggled with results throughout a lot of the year. The retirement of Alejandro Valverde didn't help, but Mas has had a storming season finale which comfortably saved the team.

“We already saw it a bit last year. When you have only one leader and you suffer a setback, the team suffers. When Valverde had the problem, we stayed with Enric and, in his problems in the middle part, the team suffered," Villa added. "It's not the ideal situation, but there weren't great opportunities in the market. We will have to wait."

After finishing second at the Volta a Espana and Il Lombardia, alongside beating Tadej Pogacar at the Giro dell'Emilia, Enric Mas has consolidated himself in a position even more superior that the previous years. "He has made three podiums in grand tours. He is the only one who has put up with Pogacar in 2022," Villa claims - perhaps not remembering the 2022 Tour de France.

Nevertheless, Mas is on an upward trend, and is closer and closer to a possible debut Grand Tour victory. “I think it's time. He is a mature cyclist and his time has come. He has already shown that he can be there. At the end of the course we saw how Enric can "familiarize" anyone"

Villa also admitted that there is work being done behind Mas' weak points, such as his time-trial which is inferior to the likes of Pogacar, Vingegaard, Roglic and Evenepoel who currently dominate the Grand Tour scene.

"We are aware of our limitations and that is why we want to continue taking steps forward. Last year I think we already improved a lot in this regard. We have to continue improving in time trial," he concluded.