"We'll have five more chances" - Enric Mas doesn't give up on Tour despite a heartbreak of stage 16

Enric Mas could touch with his fingers what would have been the greatest victory of his life. The Movistar Team rider went on the attack from the breakaway on Mont Ventoux, and went on to lead solo for a long time before a group which included the winner of stage 16; Valentin Paret-Peintre.

Movistar Team's work was perfect throughout the day. In the end, the Spanish team managed to get its best rider, Enric, into the large breakaway with less than 100 kilometers to go. Then, when the group was reduced to less than 10 riders, the Spaniard came back in.

In the first kilometers of Mont Ventoux, Enric Mas attacked and left Thymen Arensman and Julian Alaphilippe behind. The leader of the Spanish team made all the fans get up from the couch, when he was up to 1 minute and 10 seconds ahead. But in the end he couldn't cope with the brutal pace set by Healy and Paret-Peintre from the chasing group.

"There are good faces in the team, we are happy, we couldn't win but we put everything aside. We have five more chances and we're going to go for them," began Enric Mas at the end of the stage, who should be very proud of his performance today.

"I tried from the bottom, I was empty with 5 kilometers to go, but we had to play like that, we got into the breakaway of the breakaway as Chente says and, nothing, all that was left was to enjoy the attempt at victory," he added.

Although it was in the Pyrenees that he fell out of the general classification, Enric Mas surprised with his statements that he felt enormous support from the spectators:

"I wanted to say that in Pyrenees we felt an impressive affection, one that I had never felt on the roads. I want to thank the Spanish fans for trusting me and the team."

Finally, on whether this stage 16 has been one of his best performances in the Tour de France, the Spaniard said:

"I had better days, but it was a good stage at the Tour for us. When I had 1 minute I thought I could win," he concluded.