"We'll have five more chances" - Enric Mas doesn't give up on Tour despite a heartbreak of stage 16
Cycling
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.
Enric Mas came close to winning the Tour de France
"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.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Love this guy. He is such a pure racer.mij07-11-2026
- Fair enough. Everyone’s entitled to one and I respect yours! Nothing wrong with being a one week and GT guy if that’s his vibemij07-11-2026
- LOL...it's a predetermined finish ! N one is 'clashing' at these exhibition crits!frieders307-11-2026
- Surely the UCI and the race organisers have a responsibility to ensure the best medical care is available to riders when incidents like this happen. All very well pushing for global expansion but not so good if riders lives are put at risk because medical support is not up to scratch.Andy12306-11-2026
- Well it clearly helps that this was Pidcock's own car, no?Occam06-11-2026
- The American performance at the World's road race was a masterclass in cycling tactics. If it wasn't McNulty, it might well have been Jorgensen or Simmons to take off and win in a solo break.Occam06-11-2026
- What a gimmick
Rafionain-Glas06-11-2026 - Thats only cause he rides for UAE. In any other team he would be captain in many races atleast. UAE is just to crazymiguel06-11-2026
- He seems to be the rare athlete whose passion and curiosity about life beyond his sport equals his extraordinary achievements in it. It would be great for him to risk less of that life. He seems very grateful and joyful for what he has already attained.
MarkFour06-11-2026 - As much as I admire and even revere Wout, the less I know about his backside the better.MidnightRider06-11-2026
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