Enric Mas Nicolau: The three-time runner-up that could finally win the Vuelta a Espana this year

Enric Mas Nicolau has been a major name in the world of cycling since 2017 when he began to regularly compete in major events. However, he is yet to finish first at a Grand Tour event or in a major stage race.

Mas Nicolau will take part in the Vuelta a Espana, after a disappointing Tour de France where he crashed on the first stage. In the Spanish segment of the Grand Tour, he has regularly been a genuine competitor to be the overall champion.

The Spaniard finished 2nd in the final race of the Grand Tour schedule in 2018, and 2021, and last year in 2022. In 2020 he also recorded a fifth-placed finish.

This year he will surely be aiming to finally improve his treble of runner-up finishes, and claim his first Grand Tour triumph in the process. In sports betting, he is seen as a slight outsider to finish on top of the podium when the lengthy race concludes in September.

The Vuelta a Espana is typically not as competitive as the Tour de France, with many of the leading riders choosing to sit out after their huge efforts earlier in the summer.

However, this time around the Tour de France back-to-back champion Jonas Vingegaard will be present in Spain, as well as this year's Giro d'Italia winner, Primoz Roglic.

The Dane will certainly be desperate to add success on the Grand Tour beyond the pinnacle of the Tour de France. Meanwhile, the Slovenian Roglic is in his 30s now and will be keen to add to his list of honours before retirement in the coming years.

Mas Nicolau will certainly face much tougher competition than he has ever faced during the past events, in which he finished runner-up.

However, he will be on his home turf for the historical race which gets underway at the end of the summer. Perhaps the backing of his huge fanbase in Spain could help him to pull off the spectacular this year. 

Mas Nicolau of course has a huge amount of experience in the race itself. He often competes in the Spanish leg of the Grand Tour.

Although the route changes year-on-year, the format often remains exactly the same. Mas Nicolau will know how to approach each stage of the event, which could give him the upper hand on the likes of Vingegaard who only competed once back in 2020.

The Spanish rider has also finished first in several major one-day races such as the Giro dell'Emilia in 2022. He certainly has the raw speed to compete with the leading cyclists set to participate in the Vuelta.

Now it could be a case of mastering the perfect strategy to be successful over a lengthy three-week race. If Mas Nicolau is to get the better of the high-flying Dane and serial winner Roglic, then he must take advantage of the added experience he holds over them.

The Spaniard could perhaps have more hunger than anybody else to finally secure victory on home soil, he also has the added bonus of the home support, and prior experience at the event on his side.

The 2023 Vuelta could potentially represent the pinnacle of Mas Nicolau's career, victory is certainly not out of reach.