‘I’ll have to bring out the best version of Enric’ – Vuelta a España leader Mas focused on his own performance in key time trial on Thursday

Mas recognised that the 32.2-kilometre time trial in the southern city of Jerez de la Frontera is enormously important regarding his chances of taking the overall victory in Granada next Sunday, and that it could indeed be decisive.

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“I may end up seeing it that way,” Mas said, “because at the end of the day you all know what’s at stake for me and I’ll have to bring out the best version of Enric I can.

“We have to be really mentalized for it, and feel confident. I think we’ve worked hard for a long time, and we have a great opportunity to try to win the Vuelta.”

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The build-up for the Vuelta’s time trial has been a long one, since Mas has already established that, since Tadej Pogačar abandoned after his crash on stage 8, he is now the best rider in the 2026 Vuelta on the climbs. However, his time trialling has always been his weakest point, hence the interest in how his rivals can bounce back.

Opinions vary wildly regarding what Mas can or can’t do in the time trial. On Wednesday evening, one experienced local journalist even asked Mas if he thought he could beat Roglič in the TT, somehow overlooking the fact that Mas has finished behind the Slovenian in all 22 of their past time trial encounters.

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“I’m just going to concentrate on what I can do,” Mas replied, after being asked directly if he was “scared” of the time trial – to which the answer was, unsurprisingly, “No, I’m not.”

Yet another angle scrutinised in Mas’ final press conference before the time trial was whether he would use his rivals’ times as a reference given that he was the last rider to start, and would be able to gauge his effort accordingly.

“I’m not thinking about that. I can’t control what other people do,” he responded. “I just have to make sure I lose as little time as possible.”

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He was equally unbothered, he said, about having to use a skinsuit made by a different clothing sponsor than the one used by Movistar – as he is race leader – replying, “I have to centre on what I can do myself.”

It can’t be forgotten that even if Mas suffers a serious time trial defeat at the hands of Roglič, barring a serious change in the balance of power in the mountains, Spaniard has the two summit finishes that remain in his favour, and could reverse any setbacks there from the TT.

Perhaps with that in mind, Mas hinted strongly that his main goal will be, regardless of the time loss, to maintain the lead, allowing him to go into Friday and Saturday’s high mountain stages in Malaga and Granada with an advantage.

“It’s clear that if I can keep the red jersey, then I hope to enjoy the two following stages,” Mas said. “I just have to do the best I can.”