"You want to take on the big dogs. You can’t live in fear of a guy" - Tadej Pogacar's absence doesn't take away from Enric Mas Vuelta glory
Cycling
Finlay Pickering thinks that riders and teams still need to search for ways to beat Tadej Pogacar. Defending Enric Mas, the rider claims that Pogacar's crash does not take away from the fact that the Movistar rider won the Vuelta a Espana red jersey.
UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider Pogacar was in command of the Vuelta before his stage 8 crash. Suffering multiple injuries, he immediately left the race as Mas was propelled into the red jersey. However, the Movistar rider proved strongest throughout the last two weeks of the race.
Mas repeatedly defended his red jersey, effectively sealing the win on Saturday's queen stage before a triumphant ride into Granada to seal his first-ever Grand Tour. Pickering believes there shouldn't be a Pogacar-shaped asterisk beside his win.
“The fact that Tadej isn’t here should not take away the fact that Enric Mas won the Vuelta. He’s done that. He’s been the strongest guy in the race,” Pickering told the Domestique Hotseat podcast.
“Crashes, things like this, things that are out of your control, are part of bike racing.”
Enric Mas, winner of the Vuelta a España 2026.
Mas wins red jersey ahead of competitive field
Highlighting the competitive general classification field, Mas fended off Primoz Roglic, Felix Gall, Richard Carapaz and Sepp Kuss among others to command the jersey.
“You still have Roglic in the race, you have Felix Gall in the race, Sepp Kuss in the race, Carapaz in the race. He had some pretty tough competition.
“Tadej had to go home the way he did, but I don’t think that Tadej going home should take away any of the respect, the work that Enric Mas has put in to win the Vuelta.”
Jayco AlUla rider Pickering pointed to Mas's stage 6 performance, where he caught Pogacar on the day's final climb, impressively reeling in the UAE leader.
“You can’t forget on the Benicàssim day when I think Enric Mas bridged back over to Pogačar. I don’t think anyone’s done that since Vingegaard in the Tour.
Enric Mas performance commands respect
“So I think you have to look at it like that and really respect what Enric Mas has done. Fair play to him. He was the best.”
When it comes to Pogacar, Pickering wants to see more moments like that when Mas had the Slovenian's number on the climb. He maintains that riders want to face the best, and that teams should continue to push to compete against Pogacar.
“If you’re boxing, you want to fight the world champion. You don’t want to fight some guy who’s 0 and 26,. You want to take on the big dogs. You can’t live in fear of a guy.
“You have to figure out ways you can win a stage or even win a GC with this guy in the race because, whether you like it or not, he’s here to stay and he’s bloody good at what he does.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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