“Nothing changes” – Enric Mas soldiers on despite time trial disappointment

Spanish fans had hoped Enric Mas might deliver a time trial performance reminiscent of his days with Quick-Step, especially after his form so far in the Tour de France. But with Movistar Team, that kind of result remains elusive. The Mallorcan lost nearly three minutes at the finish, erasing the promise of a solid start to this Tour de France.

Before the race, Mas had set his sights on a top-10 finish. That now looks out of reach. Still, after crossing the line, he made clear he wasn’t giving up, "Let's see if we can turn this around."

There’s still a long road ahead. Only five stages have passed, and the mountains could shift the balance. Mas leaned on that possibility at the finish, "The objective remains the same, I don't think the way of racing will change because of these circumstances. Let's enjoy the race, there's still a lot left, it's the fifth stage."

There was no obvious failure to point to. He had vowed before the Tour to give everything, and despite being overtaken by Kévin Vauquelin in a humbling manner, Mas maintained he had emptied the tank.

"We know Remco is a super rider in everything, here even more, we expected losses, we have to analyze where I failed. I gave it my all."

He finished with a reaffirmation that he wasn't shifting his focus away from the general classification. "Everything the same, nothing changes."