“Now everything is much easier” – Enric Mas turns tables on Primoz Roglic to tighten grip on Vuelta lead
CyclingSaturday, 05 September 2026 at 18:39
Enric Mas will enter the final week of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana with a lead of more than two minutes after reversing one of his unhappier memories against Primoz Roglic on Sierra de la Pandera.
The Movistar Team leader gained another 25 seconds on Roglic during Stage 14, extending the Slovenian’s deficit to 2:10 and pushing him behind Felix Gall into third overall. Gall now sits second at 2:06, only four seconds ahead of the four-time Vuelta winner.
Mas’s confidence was evident after another mountain stage ended with his advantage growing. Asked whether leading the race was a difficult process while enjoying his current level of form, the Majorcan offered a blunt distinction.
“No. It is difficult when you have neither the level nor the legs,” Mas said after the finish. “Now everything is much easier.”
Movistar turn the breakaway into support
Movistar placed Pablo Castrillo and Raul Garcia Pierna inside the enormous 44-rider breakaway, giving Mas two potential satellite riders for the final ascent rather than asking his teammates to spend the entire stage controlling from the peloton.
Garcia Pierna became particularly important after being caught. His acceleration stretched the group and contributed to Roglic losing contact, helping Mas convert the team’s pre-stage plan into another meaningful gain.
“Normally, we always hug everyone,” Mas said of his teammates. “I always, always, always have to thank them, because you have already seen what they are doing, in this case for me.”
The strategy continued a run of strong collective performances from Movistar, who also used riders from the breakaway to support Mas during his Stage 9 victory on the Alto de Aitana and his time gain at Calar Alto. “You saw it during the stage,” he explained. “The plan was the one we had discussed on the bus.”
Movistar had prepared alternatives in case the race developed differently, but their preferred scenario unfolded as intended. “There are always several plans because of what can happen during the race, but this was Plan A and it was simply spectacular.”
Enric Mas in action
Mas reverses painful La Pandera memory
Roglic’s time loss carried additional meaning for Mas because of what happened when the Vuelta previously finished on La Pandera in 2022. “Honestly, I had bad memories of this climb because I think it was in 2022 when Primoz took more than 30 seconds out of me, 38 I think,” Mas recalled.
Four years later, Mas arrived in red and left with his position strengthened. He initiated the first meaningful acceleration among the GC contenders inside the final three kilometres, before Garcia Pierna’s contribution helped prevent Roglic from returning. “Today was different. Fortunately, it was the other way around,” Mas said. “Little by little, we are gaining time.”
Mas also finished ahead of Richard Carapaz, whose deficit increased to 4:24, and Oscar Onley, now fifth at 5:44. The only leading contender to remain on the same GC time as Mas was Gall, who consequently moved into second place.
Read also
“I want to win the Vuelta”
Mas has already won a stage and repeatedly increased his advantage since inheriting the red jersey following Tadej Pogacar’s withdrawal. His priority is no longer another individual stage success, however. “Well, the truth is that I want to win the Vuelta,” he said.
Before the second rest day, Mas and Movistar must negotiate the medium-mountain route to Cordoba on Stage 15 amid another forecast of extreme Andalusian heat. "Tomorrow is another key day when it will be extremely hot, more than today and, I think, even more than yesterday,” Mas warned.
The following rest day will offer the final chance to recover before the remaining GC tests, including the individual time trial to Jerez de la Frontera and the mountain finishes at Penas Blancas and Collado del Alguacil. “After that, we will have a rest day which I think will be important for regaining strength and taking on the final week.”
Mas reaches that final week with Gall now his nearest challenger, Roglic four seconds further behind and every remaining rival more than four minutes from the red jersey.
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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- "his new agreement extends a UAE partnership already spanning eight seasons through to the end of 2032." I'm not sure what's wrong with this? You definitely dropped GCSE English haha😉VinnySport05-09-2026
- 8 seasons. Definitely dropped GCSE Mathematics
Rafionain-Glas05-09-2026 - Any crowds at the finish?Jumpyjohn05-09-2026
- It’s 2026, I’m sure you could ask for a NFT of Remco « lapping » Tadej at last years’ worlds, if he hasn’t already claimed it :-)Jumpyjohn05-09-2026
- So much for UAE’s plan BJumpyjohn05-09-2026
- You will be missed. Enjoy!Cyclingsbestfan05-09-2026
- That reminds me, time to frame my print of Wout beating pog like a school girl at Roubaix....Colnago-fan05-09-2026
- Hurrah, fake fanJumpyjohn05-09-2026
- Will never forget WvA beating Pogi on the Montmartre. And Paris Roubaix. Legend.anonymouscyclist05-09-2026
- If only your ego weren’t so dependent on Tadej Pogacar for its victories over reality.AndrewK05-09-2026
Loading
Write a comment