“It could possibly be the proper day,” Enric Mas mentioned hopefully on Thursday night when he was requested about stage 19 of the Vuelta a España. And it was, however simply not for him. Primož Roglič was working on a unique airplane on the Alto de Moncalvillo, and there was little that Mas or anyone else might do when he cruised away with 6km of the climb remaining.
Although Mas briefly regained some floor on Roglič on the higher reaches of the ascent, the Movistar man should have recognized his assets had been dwindling quickly. In the ultimate two kilometres or so, his deficit swiftly doubled, and he crossed the road fourth on the stage, some 50 seconds behind the brand new crimson jersey Roglič.
“I got here in empty, I could not dash,” mentioned Mas, who was caught and handed by David Gaudu and Mattias Skjelmose within reach of the road. “Primož gained and he additionally took time. I can solely say congratulations.”
The curious tactical configuration of this Vuelta has meant that Roglič’s Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammates have typically managed to keep away from the duty of policing the bunch. There should have felt a way of foreboding within the peloton after they took up that burden so willingly on Friday, spending the majority of the afternoon guaranteeing the early break remained inside touching distance on the lengthy, flat run-in to the Alto de Moncalvillo.
“We knew that Primož was going to behave at this time as a result of he likes levels with just one climb,” Mas mentioned, however no quantity of forewarning might actually put together the opposite podium contenders for the astonishing violence of Red Bull’s collective effort on the climb itself.
Roger Adria’s early work burnt off some notable climbers, however probably the most startling second of the Alto de Moncalvillo got here with a little bit over 6km to go, when Daniel Martinez took up the reins and set a tempo so ferocious that solely his teammates Aleksandr Vlasov and Roglič might comply with.
Mas, like Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) and crimson jersey Ben O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R), did not even dream of following. From the second Roglič disappeared from view along with his retinue, Mas et al realised they had been now racing for second place general at this Vuelta.
“Richie and I did not do something, as a result of we knew Primož could be very sturdy in this sort of effort,” Mas mentioned. “Very few individuals within the peloton or on the earth can try this form of effort. Jonas [Vingegaard] and Tadej [Pogačar] are on the identical degree, however the remainder of us should handle ourselves a bit extra.”
Moncalvillo
When the Vuelta a España final got here this fashion in 2020, the Alto de Moncalvillo had been one thing of an ordeal for Mas. Burnt by that have, he was by no means more likely to play with hearth right here. He gambled on the concept that Roglič’s effort may begin to gutter on the higher a part of the climb, and he saved his flickering hopes alive by closing to inside 20 seconds of the Slovenian with just below two miles of exhausting highway to go.
That was pretty much as good because it bought. Roglič’s tempo solely ever barely cooled off, whereas Mas started to wrestle ever extra visibly because the end line drew nearer. “For some time, I used to be managing it properly, I used to be there at 18, 20 seconds,” he mentioned. “But in the long run, I used to be empty, and two riders got here previous me.”
Although Mas conceded a minute to Roglič as soon as time bonuses had been added to the invoice, he did achieve gaining 13 seconds on Carapaz and 59 seconds on O’Connor. In the general standings, Mas stays third general, now 2:20 behind Roglič however solely 26 seconds O’Connor’s second place.
All of a sudden, Mas’ Vuelta is taking up a really acquainted guise. While Roglič is inside touching distance of equalling Roberto Heras’ document of 4 general wins, Mas is aware of {that a} fourth second-place end is now the summit of his ambitions in Madrid, even with a heavy day of climbing to Picón Blanco on Saturday.
“The goal is to win, however we have now to remember that Primož is now 2:20 forward of me,” mentioned Mas, beforehand second in 2018, 2021 and 2022. “We will attempt to go for second place. We’ll should do issues otherwise than we did at this time. Tomorrow there are 5,000 metres of climbing, so we will take pleasure in 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.