OPINION: Enric Mas should be at the start line of the Tour of the Alps

Enric Mas has started the season better than ever, with two podiums in Volta a Catalunya and the Itzulia Basque Country. Yet, neither race produced a victory. The Mallorcan was clearly beaten in the Volta a Catalunya by Primoz Roglic and Juan Ayuso, and then in the Basque country by Joao Almeida.

In the Volta he had no real chance of victory, while in the Basque Country he escaped with Almeida to the final stage in Eibar. But, he could not beat his rival in the final meters having spent many kilometres pulling to improve in the general classification due to the time he lost in the opening day's time trial.

There is no doubt that after the 'slap on the wrist' of Eusebio Unzué in the 2024 Tour de France, Mas has performed at a high level in the races he has compete in since, adding above all another podium in the Vuelta a España;

What he lacks though, is winning.

He hasn't won a race since October 1, 2022, when he beat Tadej Pogacar in the Giro dell'Emilia. On the way to 3 years without raising his arms, a cyclist who has done so only 6 times in his otherwise strong career.

The question we ask ourselves is why Movistar Team does not select a more comfortable calendar for Enric to win a race again?

Why are you racing this week against Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and company in Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège and not racing the Tour of the Alps?

Yes, the Tour of the Alps, a race that Juanpe Lopez won last year and that basically only has mountains. It doesn't have time trials, nor would he have rivals as tough as the ones he normally faces. In other words, it is a race tailor made for Mas.

It's a pity not to see Enric Mas or a strong Movistar team today at the start of the Tour of the Alps. But can they prove us wrong this week in the Ardennes?