With Enric Mas clearly nowhere near the shape to contest any positions in the Tour de France GC, it's time for Movistar to re-evaluate their possibilities and enter the race for stage wins with everything they have.
Speaking to Quique Iglesias (Cadena Cope) at the finish line, Chente García Acosta, sports director of Movistar Team, acknowledged that it was important for the team that Oier Lazkano managed to pass the Tourmalet first in a stage of the Tour de France 2024. "I already had it a bit in mind (going over the Tourmalet first), the pity is that they didn't allow them to take a bit more time, he was very strong."
Although they have not yet managed to win, the truth is that Movistar is fulfilling what they promised before the start of the Tour to try to hunt stages, notices CiclismoAlDia's Juan Larra, as they're entering nearly all the promising breakaways, while in bunch sprints, they throw their chips (only figuratively) quick successfully at the Colombian sprinter Fernando Gaviria.
"From the beginning we said we were going to come for stages and we are trying every day with a lot of breakaways. As Oier (Lazkano) said we have to honor the brand and in the Pyrenees in the Tour we have to do it."
Regarding Enric Mas who is having a really bad time, Chente assured that he has already turned the switch, that he will try to go for stages (he attempted to enter the breakaway on Saturday already) and that in any case there is still the Vuelta a Espana in his calendar.
"Enric is not having a good time, every cyclist wants to be as far ahead as possible, we are giving him peace of mind, let him try in the breakaways, today he tried it, let him try in the breakaways and see if we can turn it around. There's more season to go, there's still the Vuelta."
🏔 #TDF2024 Es 14 de julio, y para celebrar la fiesta nacional francesa afrontamos probablemente la jornada 'reina' de @letour_es. +4800m y cinco puertos, con Peyresourde (1ª) 'de pito'; Menté (1ª), Portet-d'Aspet (1ª) y Agnes (1ª) / Lers por el camino; y cierre en Plateau de…
Article written by Juan Larra.
