"Time trials are a struggle for us" - Enric Mas voices concern ahead of stage 5 at 2025 Tour de France

Enric Mas lost 32 seconds on Stage 4 of the Tour de France, unable to stay with the race’s elite on the short, explosive climb into Rouen. The Movistar Team leader conceded his first real time to the GC favourites on a day that tested punchy climbers — and on the eve of what is expected to be his most difficult stage: the flat 33-kilometre time trial in Caen.

After the stage, the Movistar Team leader admitted it had not been his best performance: "I really suffered today. We knew this stage would be tough for me — hopefully the pure mountain stages will suit me better. I’m happy with how the team rode, they were great. The finish was incredibly fast, and I lost about half a minute. I just hope things improve from here."

Looking ahead to Wednesday’s time trial, Mas was realistic about his expectations: "It’s a very important stage. We know time trials are a struggle for us — we’ll see how it goes."

Despite the disappointment, Mas made no excuses for missing both the leading group and the second split on the final climb into Rouen: "It’s done, that half-minute is gone. I just have to accept it and focus on tomorrow."

Mas now sits sixth overall in the general classification. Given the profile of the Caen time trial, it’s likely he will lose further time to the top contenders. If so, he'll need to rely on his climbing strength in the high mountains to claw his way back into the top 10.