Enric Mas couldn’t shake off Primož Roglič on stage 16 of the Vuelta a España, however the Spaniard seems to be warming to the concept of profitable this race in Madrid subsequent Sunday after an aggressive show at Lagos de Covadonga.
Mas’ assault 7km from the mist-shrouded summit positioned crimson jersey Ben O’Connor in issue, and he kicked once more a mile or so later with a transfer that solely Roglič, Richard Carapaz and David Gaudu might comply with.
That quartet would attain the end collectively, placing just below a minute into O’Connor, a outcome that leaves Mas nonetheless third total, however now simply 1:25 off the crimson jersey, whereas Roglič lies second total at 5 seconds. “The feeling is nice,” Mas instructed reporters after he had modified in a tent past the end line.
After he conceded a minute to Roglič on the Puerto de Ancares on stage 13, Mas’ Vuelta appeared to be conforming to a well-recognized narrative. Although he has been a constant performer on this race over time, inserting second on three events, there has at all times appeared to be an higher restrict on what he might obtain.
Mas responded to his setback on the Ancares with a spirited show at Cuitu Negru on stage 15, the place he briefly distanced Roglič earlier than the Slovenian battled his method again as much as his wheel earlier than the end. The Movistar rider continued in an identical vein on the street to Lagos de Covadonga on Tuesday, whereas Roglič largely adopted a coverage of containment.
Indeed, Mas even regarded to ape Roglič’s race-winning transfer of 2021 right here, when he set his Movistar crew to work on the penultimate climb of Collada Llomena with 60km or so nonetheless to race. After an extended flip from Nairo Quintana and an injection of tempo from Einer Rubio, Mas accelerated kind of on the level the place Roglič attacked with Bernal three years in the past.
The transfer petered out as soon as Roglič and the opposite podium contenders had bridged throughout, and O’Connor’s Decathlon-AG2R squad took up the pace-making thereafter, but it surely was nonetheless an announcement of intent from Mas and his crew.
The newest race content material, interviews, options, opinions and professional shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
“We tried our luck on the penultimate climb, however issues did not go the best way we needed. Today I pulled extra on the entrance, others did it on different days,” Mas stated. “When I noticed that they have been on my wheel after I made the assault, I knew that it wasn’t arduous sufficient and so I needed to cease. It was time to comply with then.”
He would strive once more on the ultimate ascent to Lagos de Covadonga, however solely after his compatriot Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep) had ignited the attacking within the crimson jersey group with a decided effort 9km from the summit. Mas launched the primary of his efforts with 7km remaining, whereas he even briefly appeared to hassle Roglič with one other acceleration with 5.5km.
From there, nonetheless, Mas, Roglič, Carapaz and Gaudu performed out one thing of a rating draw beneath a shroud of low cloud and rain. The low visibility allied to 2, sinuous downhill sections within the ultimate 3km tempered any additional aggression within the group.
“We loved immediately at Lagos, however I hope the climate improves subsequent time. I could not see something on the descent, however neither might Primož, in order that’s OK,” stated Mas, who smilingly chided reporters for suggesting the following main rendezvous would come on the following summit end on the Alto de Moncalvillo on stage 19. “Tomorrow is Santander, and we will not discard that stage as a result of persons are going very quick.”
Landismo
Few departed the end space as quick as Roglič, who deftly dodged the media scrum and descended swiftly to his Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe crew bus. O’Connor’s battling efficiency means Roglič was spared a go to to the rostrum and press convention on Tuesday, however with a deficit of simply 5 seconds on the crimson jersey the Slovenian is now the clear reference level for the GC males.
A headline on the Marca web site on Tuesday night, in the meantime, spoke optimistically of the dream of a “ultimate alliance: Landa and Mas versus Roglič.” Both of the house hopes have been actually on the entrance foot at Lagos de Covadonga, even when their aggression didn’t yield any materials achieve on Roglič.
Indeed, after attacking early at Lagos de Covadonga, Landa was caught and handed by the Roglič-Mas group, although he managed to restrict his losses on them to eleven seconds, a outcome that leaves him fifth total, 2:18 off the crimson jersey.
“I needed to strive from the underside of the climb in case any of the favourites cracked, however ultimately no one cracked and it was all a matter of seconds,” Landa stated on crossing the road. “Every day that passes it will get tougher – however each day there may be additionally much less to lose.”
Landismo by no means dies, in different phrases, and the Basque had beneficiant phrases, too, for O’Connor’s defence of his jersey on the ultimate climb. “I’m blissful that he’s stored the jersey,” Landa stated. “He’s using nicely, his crew is being courageous, and I’d be blissful if he gained it.”
Get limitless entry to all of our protection of the 2024 Vuelta a España – together with breaking information and evaluation reported by our journalists on the bottom from each stage because it occurs and extra. Find out extra.